Fraxinus excelsior Aarsee - Ash, European Ash, Common Ash

The Fraxinus excelsior ‘Aarsee’ is a botanical oddity, a variety of Common Ash that will surprise many. This slow to moderate growing small tree is remarkable for its compound foliage with very small leaflets. On the current year's shoots, the leaves can even reduce to just the veins, giving the plant an extremely bizarre, vaguely ghostly appearance. More curious than truly beautiful, it will appeal especially to plant enthusiasts looking for something out of the ordinary. Easy to grow in most moist soils, it can be planted on its own or in a bed alongside other unique plants.

Ash belongs to the Oleaceae family, which includes many ornamental plants, often fragrant, like Jasmines (Jasminum) or Lilacs (Syringa), as well as the venerable Olive tree (Olea) which gave it its name. There are around sixty-five species of Ash trees, mostly trees and a few shrubs, recognizable (with rare exceptions) by their odd-pinnate leaves (compound with an odd number of leaflets due to the terminal leaflet), generally opposite or sometimes grouped in threes. Fraxinus excelsior is our Common Ash, one of the tallest trees in Europe as it can reach 30 m in height. Its usually straight trunk bears initially grey and smooth bark, which darkens and cracks as it ages. Its compound leaves measure 20 to 30 cm in length and consist of 7 to 13 lanceolate leaflets. The yellowish-green flowers develop into elliptical samaras of 3 to 4 cm in length. It is common in forests and along riverbanks and can live for 150 to 200 years.
The Fraxinus excelsior ‘Aarsee’ presents a quite different appearance from the typical species. Smaller in size, it will reach only 5 to 10 m in height in 10 to 20 years of cultivation, with a crown width of 5 to 7 m. Its growth is slower than that of the botanical species due to its reduced leaf surface area, resulting in lower photosynthetic activity. Nevertheless, its moderate growth is still faster than that of dwarf cultivars. Its initially greenish young branches turn grey as they age. They tend to start growing more or less horizontally before rising upwards, forming a more or less spherical crown, a somewhat loose dome shape.
The foliage appears quite late in spring as is often the case with Ash trees. The leaves consist of 5 to 11 leaflets and display various morphologies. On older branch sections, they are relatively "normal", possibly just slightly smaller than those of the wild species and sometimes slightly deformed. However, on the current year's branches, the leaflets are very narrow, giving the leaves a constricted appearance, and in extreme cases, the leaf blade is reduced to just the veins! These shoots often also appear crinkled, with slight yellowish discoloration resembling certain virus symptoms. It's a love-it-or-hate-it situation! The insignificant flowering holds no ornamental interest.

The Common Ash 'Aarsee' is a unique botanical specimen that will appeal to collectors. This very hardy small tree (down to -30 °C) can fit into a "bizarretum" composed of other plants with unusual shapes. Its highly dissected foliage provides light shade suitable for some plants sensitive to full sun. Plant next to it a Cryptomeria japonica 'Cristata', a Japanese conifer that forms cock's combs at the end of its branches composed of fused young shoots, competing in oddity with your Ash tree. The Contorted Hazel (Corylus avellana 'Contorta') with its winter silhouette of undulating, snake-like branches will also be a beautiful specimen to incorporate into your scene. Another botanical curiosity, the Robinia pseudoacacia 'Twisty Baby' is a small Robinia with a fine and twisted branch structure, perfectly complementing the theme of your botanical setting.