European ash
A wind-pollinated forest tree that flowers before leafing out; it gives no nectar but supplies pollen in early spring.
- Nectar
- None
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 20-35 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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European ash is a large tree of moist forests and streamsides in Europe and northern Anatolia. Its flowers have no petals, open in clusters of dark purple stamens and are wind-pollinated. It produces no nectar; bees collect pollen from the tree on mild spring days.
Flowering
It flowers for about 1-2 weeks between March and April, before the leaves appear. At this time, together with willows and early fruit trees, it helps meet the colonies' pollen needs.
Honey and pollen
It does not contribute to honey. Its only value is early-spring pollen.
Note for the beekeeper
In Europe the fungal disease ash dieback has greatly reduced ash populations. Beekeepers who keep their hives near woodland should look after these trees as an early pollen source, but when planting for beekeeping, priority should go to nectar-producing species such as willow, maple and lime. The related species Fraxinus ornus, with its insect-visited flowers, is more useful to bees.