Manna ash

Manna ash: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Small tree of 8–15 m with a rounded crown.

Leaf

Opposite, pinnate, with 5–9 stalked, oval, toothed leaflets 5–10 cm long.

Bark and buds

Smooth and grey, even on older trees. Buds grey-brown and finely felted.

Flower

Dense panicles of small, white, fragrant flowers with narrow petals, in May–June.

Fruit

Hanging clusters of narrow winged seeds 2–3 cm long.

Difference from ash

Common ash has thick black buds, more leaflets (9–13) and inconspicuous flowers without petals.

Difference from rowan

Rowan has alternate leaves with narrower leaflets, and orange-red berries.

Flowering: May–June · Pruning: November–March

Identify by feature: Pinnate leaves · Opposite leaves · Winged seeds

Looks like it, but isn’t

• Ash Fraxinus excelsior: thick black buds, more leaflets (9–13) and inconspicuous flowers without petals. Difference from ash
• Rowan Sorbus aucuparia: alternate leaf with narrower leaflets, and orange-red berries. Difference from rowan

Why grow it?

• Abundant flowers in May–June, in creamy, fragrant panicles.
• A top plant for bees in May.
• Tolerates drought, chalk and urban conditions.
• Far less susceptible to ash dieback than common ash.

Manna ash: where does it grow best?

• Full sun; that is where it flowers best.
• Well-drained soil, preferably chalky; it tolerates drought but not wet feet.
• Allow about 8 m width: suitable for a medium-sized garden, a front garden or a street.

Light

Full sun

Legal basis

Any garden soil

Moisture

Dry

Size

12 m tall, 8 m wide

Hardiness

Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

• Hop-hornbeam: A tree from the same southern European woods, for the same dry, chalky soil.
• Judas tree: Flowers pink in April–May, just before manna ash, and also likes sun and chalk.
• English lavender: A sunny, dry border at the foot of the tree, for even more bees.
• Cornelian cherry: A shrub for chalky soil, with small yellow flowers as early as February.

Good and bad companions

Goes well with

• Tolerate the shade under this tree: oregon grape, rhododendron, oleaster, japanese skimmia, garden privet, camellia, laurustinus, box-leaved honeysuckle

Manna ash: when and how to plant it?

1. Plant from November to March, bare-root or root-balled.
2. Choose a sunny, warm spot.
3. Put a stake on the windward side and water well after planting.
4. If you are looking to replace a common ash because of ash dieback, manna ash is a smaller, tougher alternative.

Care

Watering

In dry spells during the first year; after that it looks after itself.

Feeding

Not needed.

Checking

In summer, look out for dead shoot tips or wilted leaves: manna ash can also get ash dieback, though rarely.

Shaping

Shape a young tree in winter with a single stem and an even crown.

Tip: Looking for an ash for a small garden or a street? Manna ash stays smaller, flowers profusely and is far less susceptible to ash dieback.

Manna ash: when to prune it?

Pruning months: November–March.

When: Dead, diseased and broken branches can be removed at any time of year. If pruning is needed, do it during winter dormancy (November–March).

How:

• Little pruning needed. Formative pruning of a young tree in winter.
• Remove crossing and dead branches; cut large branches in three stages, just outside the branch collar.

Caution: Don’t prune a healthy tree in spring or summer: that is when it flowers and birds are nesting.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Sowing

Pick the winged seeds in autumn and sow them outdoors in a seedbed; they often only germinate after one or two winters.

Manna ash: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

• Hardy in Belgium and the Netherlands.
• In winter you can recognise it by its grey-brown, felted buds and smooth grey bark.

Diseases and pests

• Ash dieback: Far less susceptible than common ash. If you do see dead tips or wilted leaves, cut those branches back to healthy wood.
• Wet soil: On wet, heavy soil it grows poorly. Choose a well-drained spot.
• Drought after planting: A newly planted tree needs water in its first year, even though it copes well with drought later on.

Through the year

• January: Formative pruning while dormant.
• March: Last month for formative pruning and for planting.
• May: Flowering: creamy, fragrant panicles full of bees.
• June: Flowering ends.
• July: Look out for dead tips or wilted leaves.
• September: The winged seeds ripen.
• November: Planting season; formative pruning can begin.
• December: Formative pruning; remove dead wood.

What can you use it for?

Garden and landscape

Small flowering tree for streets and gardens; tolerates drought and chalk.

For wildlife

A top plant for bees in May.

Food and drink

The dried sap (‘manna’) is a sweetener from Sicily.

Also used for

Far less susceptible to ash dieback than common ash.

Did you know?

• In Sicily people still collect the sweet sap that oozes from cuts in the trunk: dried, it is ‘manna’, a sweetener and mild laxative.
• The sweetener mannitol is named after this manna, from which it was first extracted.
• Unlike common ash, it has flowers with real petals, which attract insects.