Fraxinus ornus „Meczek“
Flowering Ash, Manna Ash
Frêne à fleurs, Frêne de Manna, Orne

Size:
The flowering ash is a small round-crowned tree about 10 m tall, often growing with several stems.

Leaf: 
The leaves are 15-30 cm long and imparipinnate, glossy green. They fall in autumn with an orange-brown tinge. The winter buds are grey, unlike those of the common ash.

Flower/fruit: 
The flowers appear on older trees before the foliage, in white, delicately fragrant panicles. The one-winged nutlets ripen in September and remain on the tree for a long time.

Trivia/Use: 
The flowering ash is a Mediterranean species and needs sunny sites, it avoids heavy soils. The manna ash takes its name from a brownish sap that oozes from cracks in the trunk and hardens when exposed to air. This "manna" was used extensively in Italy in the past and was used in pharmacy.