Ash is not only for making hurleys

I LIVE surrounded by ash trees.

The soil around here is rich in lime and free draining, which suits them perfectly. They are by far the tallest of the native trees in the area and obviously the top dog in the plant kingdom.

Actually their place in the plant kingdom is a bit surprising. They have no relatives among other Irish native trees because they are members of the olive family. This shows in the fact that they are a little sensitive to cold. They are the last of our native trees to break bud in the spring and a late frost in the second half of May can damage them.