Wednesday Street Tree #2
One-leaved ash
This is a tree that has been designed to confuse. It is a tree with rather variable, often toothed leaves and is known to cause much scratching of heads. The clues to its identity are the light, furrowed bark, and dark, almost black buds. When seen in winter, without those leaves to muddy the water, most self-respecting tree enthusiasts would say it is an ash. And they would be right, it is a weird cultivar known as one-leaved ash. Instead of having pinnate leaves with 7-13 leaflets, the leaves of a one-leaf ash have discarded all but the terminal leaflet (although occasionally a set of supporting leaflets do appear), and that single leaf is typically much larger than any of the leaflets of a regular compound leaf.
It is not, in my opinion, a thing of elegance or beauty like the regular common ash, so I always wonder why they are planted. The only conclusion I can come to is that cunning urban foresters have selected them to amuse and confuse those interested enough to wonder what it is.
What is it?
One-leaved ash
Fraxinus excelsior ‘Diversifolia’
Where is it?
Clitherow Avenue, London W7 2BU
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By the bye- that tree should have the word "apatē" in its formal name. Greek for deceiver"!
Graceful of habit. Confusing of foliage. What a mischievous tree! You look at it, puzzled. It regards you, thinking happily "You'll never identify me!"