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Ash blooms from April to May, for 2-4 weeks. The flowers are small but numerous, usually yellowish-green and white. Their structure and color depend on the characteristics of a particular species. This is discussed in more detail in the presented article.
How the ash tree blooms
Ash is a monoecious plant. This means that both male and female flowers grow on the same tree. There are also dioecious species, for example, Manchurian ash. Such trees have dioecious flowers. However, inflorescences of both sexes are often found on the same plant.
The flowering of the ash tree occurs in stages - the female inflorescences open first, and the male inflorescences form much later. Moreover, the female ones bloom longer, the male ones - slightly and not so brightly. There are always a lot of flowers, so the tree looks very beautiful and is also a good honey plant that attracts bees to the garden, flower bed and vegetable garden.
During the flowering of common ash and other species, small inflorescences appear that do not have a perianth. Each of them has two stamens and one pistil, the stigmas are bifid. Sometimes you can find flowers without pistils. Flowers are collected in bunches into lush panicles. They are formed on the shoots of the previous year.
Inflorescences unite into drooping panicles
When does the ash tree bloom?
Ash trees bloom in spring. Moreover, it begins even before the leaves bloom. In the regions of the middle zone and the Volga region, the main period is April and May. Flowering often continues after the appearance of the first leaf blades, which do not interfere with pollination.
In the southern regions of Russia, the North Caucasus, and the Krasnodar Territory, flowering may begin 1-2 weeks earlier, i.e. in the first half of April. In the Urals, Siberia and the Far East, on the contrary, there may be a slight delay - the main wave occurs at the beginning of May.
Duration of ash flowering
Ash remains in bloom for 2-4 weeks, more precisely from 14 to 30 days. The duration is influenced by several factors:
- weather conditions of the current season;
- climatic features of the area;
- soil fertility level.
In many ways, the duration and nature of flowering are determined by the characteristics of the species itself:
- The common one (Fraxinus excelsior) grows up to 30 m and produces a beautiful openwork crown. Flowering occurs on last year's shoots, before foliage begins to form. The flowers are bisexual, united into panicles.
- Flower (white, semolina) (Fraxinus ornus) grows up to 20 m. During flowering, small inflorescences appear, and thanks to their union, their total length reaches 13 cm. They are represented by green calyxes, divided into 4 identical lobes. The corollas have delicate white petals that are longer than the calyx. Anthers grow at the ends of the threads.
- American (Fraxinus americana) – very tall, up to 40 m, produces an ovoid crown. Inflorescences are formed at the end of April; they are represented by small and dense flowers up to 10 cm long.
- Green (lanceolata) (Fraxinus lanceolata) has a very wide crown.Inflorescences grow on short shoots, they are presented in bunches or panicles. The flowering period also occurs in April.
- Narrow-leaved (Fraxinus angustifolia) - a tree up to 25 m high with an oval crown. It produces flowers on last year's shoots; they form clusters consisting of numerous small inflorescences.
- Fluffy (Pennsylvanian) (Frāxinus pennsylvānica) – a tall tree up to 20 m. It produces a spreading crown of an asymmetrical shape. The bud opening period lasts several weeks from March to April. The flowers are of an unusual flat shape, yellow-green, round.
- Manchurian (Fráxinus mandshurica) grows only in fertile soils. It produces beautiful buds that appear in April.
The common species, more familiar to Russians, lives up to 100-120 years, the registered record is 175 years.
Photo of a blooming ash tree
During flowering, ash looks especially beautiful, as can be seen in the photo:
- In some species, inflorescences form along with the leaves.
- The buds are numerous and cover the tops of the shoots.
- Some species have lush, white inflorescences.
Conclusion
The ash tree blooms quite beautifully. If you get closer, you can smell a subtle aroma that attracts bees. At the end of this period, in the second half of summer, seeds are formed. However, they are not of particular interest, since the tree is most often propagated vegetatively.
