Ash Tree Merce/Flickr

Ash Tree

Did You Know?

  • Once a popular deciduous tree used commonly in streetscapes and gardens
  • It establishes in bushland and grasslands and also along stream banks and drainage lines
  • It out-competes native plants for moisture, light and nutrients and takes over these areas
FactBox Image

Large deciduous tree with yellow leaves in autumn, around 20 m high. Also known as the Desert Ash.

Leaves are comprised of leaflets. Has brown buds in winter. Many flowers in spring and fruit.

Leaves

14 - 20cm long, usually 5 - 7 (occasionally 13) leaflets, which are each 5 - 8 cm long and 0.7 - 2 cm wide. Serrated edges with pointed leaf tips. Bright and shiny green on upper side and dark and pale on underside.

Flowers

Many inconspicuous flowers with no sepals or petals. Red to purple anthers (pollen-bearing part of a flower).

Fruits/Seeds

Fruits are samara (type of dry fruit that are winged to help carry the seed away on the wind). Samara are in a cluster of 6 - 10, flattened, 3 - 4 cm long with the seed confined to half the fruit.

Field Guide

Improve your identification skills. Download your Ash Tree field guide here!

Species: WhatToObserve Image

What to Observe

  • First fully open single flower

  • Full flowering (record all days)

  • End of flowering (when 95% of the flowers have faded)

  • No flowering

  • Fruits/seeds (record all days)

Climate Adaptations

Weeds are one of the main threats to biodiversity and agriculture in Australia and under climate change will become an increasing management challenge for natural resource management.

Species: WhenAndWhere Image

When and Where

When To Look

  • Flowering occurs in spring (best time to remove this weed)

Where To Look

  • Common in the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, and South Australia
  • Also found in Tasmania, Western Australia and NSW
Species: WhatElse Image

What Else?

Similar Species

Fraxinus angustifolia subsp. Oxycarpa has grand purplish foliage in autumn whereas the Desert Ash has Yellow leaves in autumn.

Both are weeds that should be removed from natural areas.