To recognize an ash tree, its fruits serve as a helpful guide. The small rotary planes, as they are also called because of their appearance, not only have an unmistakable appearance, but also have another special feature: they remain on the branches of the deciduous tree for a whole year. Regarding the distribution of the seeds, there are a few other interesting facts that make the ash tree an exception in the olive tree family. You can read about what distinguishes the fruits of the ash tree in the following article.
What do ash tree fruits look like?
The fruits of the ash tree are known as small, winged nuts. These single-seeded, one-winged samaras have an elongated shape, shiny brown color and are arranged in pairs in panicles. They emerge in autumn and remain on the tree for a whole year.
Features
The fruits of the ash tree are small, winged nuts. In technical jargon, her appearance is referred to as Samara. Another nickname is the name of the rotary screw pilot. The following properties are important:
- lonely
- winged on one side
- Fruit formation occurs at the end of September, beginning of October
- 2-3 cm long
- 4-6 mm wide
- The fruits of the black ash are slightly longer at 4 cm
- narrow
- elongated
- glossy brown color
- arranged in pairs
- form tufted panicles
Spread and germination
The fruits of the ash tree begin to ripen at the end of August at the earliest. At the end of September and beginning of October the wingnuts are finally fully formed. The deciduous tree spreads by the wind, which carries the seeds up to 100 meters. With this form of pollination, the ash tree is an exception in its tree genus. Normally, so-called anemophily, as botanists call the dispersal of seeds by the wind, only occurs in unisexual flowers. However, the flowers of the ash tree are primarily hermaphrodite. Only the elm tree also has this atypical feature. Seed germination takes place on the surface of the earth. If a young ash shoot grows in an undesirable place in your garden, you can detect the germination in the early stages and can either remove the tender shoots completely or transplant them to a more suitable location.
Special features of the fruits of the ash tree
However, some time passes before the ash tree reproduces and drops its fruit. After formation, the nuts remain on the tree for a whole year. This characteristic makes it easier for you to distinguish an ash tree from other deciduous trees, even in winter, regardless of the foliage or appearance of the flowers.
