Ash
Fraxinus excelsior
Also called Common ash and European ash
Garden plant · TreesAsh dieback is in the UK and there are legal restrictions on moving ash. Check what applies where you are before planting one, and watch an established tree for a crown that is thinning from the top.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 8 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun
- Feed
- Not needed
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a very cold winter RHS H6, to -20°C
- Size
- 18 m tall · 12 m across
- Lifecycle
- Tree
- Origin
- Europe and the Caucasus
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-10. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Bare twig-ends at the very top of the crown while everything below is still in leaf, and diamond-shaped dark lesions where a dead side shoot joins a living branch.Ash dieback · disease