Belfast Botanic Gardens Tree Archive

fobbg logo
This is one of a series of short articles about trees in the Belfast Botanic Gardens compiled by the Friends group. The tree tag number relates to the black tree maintenance tags, usually fixed on the tree trunk, 2 to 3m above ground level.
Family: Oleaceae
Fraxinus excelsior L.
Weeping ash

Black tag 321
54o 34.958N
5o 55.877W

The weeping ash is a cultivar of the common ash, which is native to Ireland. The genus Fraxinus belongs to the olive family, Oleaceae. The weeping ash is always grafted as it does not come true from seed. The final shape of the tree depends on how high it is grafted - grafted too low and they grow into something like a half-folded golf umbrella! Weeping ash is strong-growing and given space will make a fine large tree. It received the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 1984. The weeping ash has the same pinnate leaves and blackish-brown buds as the species

Weeping ash in Belfast Botanic Gardens

Weeping ash leaves leaf
Weeping ash in Belfast Botanic Gardens Weeping ash leaves

Tracery of branches in mature weeping ash

Charactaristic blackish bud of ash
Tracery of branches in mature weeping ash The weeping ash has the same blackish buds as common ash

keys of weeping ash

Bark of weeping ash
Weeping ash "keys" Weeping ash bark

Photos taken in Belfast Botanic Gardens in 2016. Copyright: Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens.

Click here to view the rest of the tree archive