Britain, Europe, Caucasus & Alborz Mts. (Iran). Broadly columnar, deciduous tree with stout greenish-grey shoots with jet black buds. Leaves with 7-13 coarsely serrate leaflets, late into leaf & early to fall. Flowers before the leaves, developing into bunches of 'keys'. Vigorous grower, best on deep moist to wet soils but tolerates much drier soils, enjoys limestone. Valuable light coloured hardwood timber for tool handles, sports goods, and joinery. Steams and bends well. Coppices readily, producing straight poles and rods. Great firewood, burns cut green.

Manna ash - from south Europe and southwest Asia. Broadly spreading, deciduous. Bark is dark grey remaining smooth. Leaves with 5-9 broad ovoid leaflets, autumn colours yellow or purple. Conspicuous clusters of small fragrant white flowers, insect pollinated, developing into bunches of slender samaras. Sap produces a sugary extract 'manna'. Very drought tolerant and used as a street tree.

Chekiang Province, E China. Broadly conical, deciduous. Ancestors go back nearly 280 million years. Leaves bright yellow in autumn. Yellow fruits smell awful when over-ripe. The large kernel is edible and prized by the Asian community. 20-40cm grade container grown can be dispatched in Autumn

Pigeonwood is a small native tree that thrives in lowland forests of both North and South Islands. A great small evergreen tree that produces bright red berries that are eaten by the Kereru.