Fraxinus excelsior Heterophylla Pendula - Weeping ash

Fraxinus excelsior 'Heterophylla Pendula' or weeping ash is a small tree, typically as wide as it is tall, with flexible branches that bend almost to the ground. With moderate growth, its architectural silhouette deserves to be planted as a specimen tree, or within a bed of low-growing plants. Uncommon among ashes, its foliage consists of simple, entire leaves, not composed of leaflets like most other varieties. While its flowering is too insignificant to be ornamental, it turns beautiful yellow colours in autumn before leaf drop. A compact tree, easy to cultivate, well-suited for small gardens.

The Ash tree belongs to the Oleaceae family, like the Olive tree (Olea) which gave it its name, and several ornamental genera, such as Jasmines, Forsythias, or even Osmanthus which are so refined. Ash trees, of which around sixty-five species have been identified, are recognised, bar a few exceptions, including this variety, by their odd-pinnate leaves (composed of an odd number of leaflets, due to the terminal leaflet), usually opposite or sometimes grouped in threes. Fraxinus excelsior is the common Ash tree of European forests, and can also be found near lakes and rivers. With fast growth, it is a large tree that can exceed 30m in height. Its foliage consists of leaves composed of 7 to 13 leaflets, measuring 20 to 40cm in length, and it produces a very inconspicuous yellow-green flowering before bud burst.
Fraxinus excelsior 'Heterophylla Pendula' is different from the botanical species in several ways. With moderate growth, slower than the type, it eventually forms a small tree of 5 to a maximum of 6m in height, with a comparable spread, easily recognisable by its weeping habit. Its somewhat disorderly branching goes in all directions, horizontally or even upright towards the sky, but the long flexible branches arch and descend very low, practically to the ground. The resulting dome of vegetation is particularly architectural and attractive. The new shoots are a beautiful bright green, contrasting with the black buds characteristic of the species. At maturity, the shoots turn grey, like the trunk's bark. Interestingly, in this variety, the leaf blades are entire instead of being composed of leaflets (the cultivar 'Diversifolia' also has simple or compound leaves, but with only 3 leaflets). Their shape and size vary somewhat, hence the qualifier of heterophylla. With a beautiful bright green colour and prominent veins, the leaves have an irregular, more or less deep, toothed margin, and can even form small rounded lobes in some places. In autumn, the foliage takes on a fairly decorative yellow before falling to the ground. The flowering is too insignificant to be ornamental. It appears very early, in April, in the form of small yellow-green flowers, which then produce rather unattractive fruits called samaras.

Easy to grow in most moist and well-drained soils, not minding severe frost or wind and not very sensitive to de-icing salt, this 'Heterophylla Pendula' Ash tree is particularly well-suited for small urban gardens. Plant it as a specimen tree on a lawn to enjoy its characteristic silhouette, or even integrate it into a bed of diverse plants. In this case, surround it with low-growing plants to not hinder its development and allow it to display its attractive habit. Under its protective shade, you can plant a carpet of Pachysandra terminalis 'Variegata', an evergreen ground cover with dark green foliage delicately edged in white. The European Spindle Tree, or Euonymus europaeus, with its slightly wild appearance, will also blend well with your Ash tree and create a superb colour contrast when its foliage turns purple and red in autumn. Additionally, it produces very decorative pink and orange fruits (but be careful, they are also toxic). And to bring winter colours to your scene, adopt the Cornus stolonifera 'Flaviramea', a Dogwood with yellow wood that you can plant in front of your Ash tree without affecting it, as this shrub does not exceed 2m in height, and benefits from being pruned short each year to promote the growth of bright young shoots.