European Ash - Benefits, Uses and Side Effects
Botanical Name of European Ash: Fraxinus excelsior.
Other Common Names: Ash, common ash, weeping ash, bird's tongue.
Habitat:
The European ash is found in most parts of Europe from the Mediterranean Sea in the south to Norway in the north and to the Caucasus and western Russia in the east.
Description:European ash is a large tree which can grow up to 40 meters. The ash is long-lived with the normal age around 200 years but there are some trees that have achieved an age of over 500 years. The leaves of
the European ash appear very late in the spring, sometimes not until the beginning of June and fall again in the early autumn. The small flowers are reddish-brown to black in colour and lack normal petals. The ash does not flower until it has reached the age of 30 years. Some trees have female flowers while others have male flowers or even both. The ash is also known to change its sex from year to year. The ash trees are usually pollinated by wind and the seeds are dispersed in the same way.
Plant Parts Used: The bark and leaves and sometimes the seeds.
 European Ash ( Fraxinus excelsior) (Click on image to enlarge)
Attribution: Jean-Pol Grandmont
Therapeutic Uses, Benefits and Claims of European Ash
- There is a very long historical tradition of using European ash as a medicine. Its uses as a medicinal herb was already know by the Greek physician Hippocrates (460-377 BC) and St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098 – 1179), a German writer, composer and philosopher, writes of using ash as a treatment for gout and rheumatism.
 European Ash ( Fraxinus excelsior) - European ash contains many substances known for their medicinal benefits. The leaves, bark and young twigs contain coumarins (Fraxin, Esculin and related substances) that inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi. These properties could make the ash beneficial as a treatment for healing wounds and sores and to reduce swellings.
- The ash bark is used as a fever-reducing agent and as a substitute for quinine, which is derived from the Quinine tree (Cinchona pubescens).
- The bark and leaves have been used traditionally as an herbal remedy for diarrhea.
- The substance Fraxin found in the bark and the leaves of the European ash has diuretic properties and may increase the excretion of uric acid. Due to these properties the bark could be helpful to treat gout in the elderly and may also be beneficial for other rheumatic disorders, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Ailments associated with the kidneys and bladder have also been treated with the bark from European ash. Additionally it has been used to remove stones in the urinary tract.
- The bark and the leaves of the ash tree may act as a mild laxative due to the presence of mannitol and can therefore be used as an herbal remedy for constipation and to eliminate intestinal parasites. However compared with other laxative herbs the effect is rather weak.
- The Vikings considered the ash as a sacred tree. In Norse mythology, the ash Yggdrasil was an immense tree that was the center of the world and spread its crown over the whole earth. It was said to be the world tree around which the nine worlds existed.
Dosage and Administration
The following dosages have sometimes been recommended by herbalists.
As an infusion: One or two teaspoons of grounded leaves to a cup of hot water. Steeped for 2 to 3 minutes and then strained. 1 to 2 cups a day can be taken.
As a decoction: One teaspoon of bark powder to a cup of water. Boiled briefly and then steeped for 2 to 3 minutes. One cup daily can be taken. For more appealing taste a peppermint or sweet marjoram can be added.
The leaves should be picked in early summer when they are glazed by a thin mucous membrane. They should then be dried and stored in an airtight container. The bark should be collected in the spring and then dried and grounded into powder. The seeds should be harvested while they are young and green.
Potential Side Effects and Interactions of European Ash
No side effects have been registered when European ash has been used as an herbal medicine. Ash can cause allergenic reaction in some people. Cases of allergy to the pollen have been reported, but are considered uncommon.
Supporting References
Volák, Jan & Jiri Stodola: The Illustrated Book of Herbs. London, Caxton Editions 1998.
Mills, Simon: The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism. New York, MJF Books 1988.
Príhoda, Antonín, Ladislav Urban & Vera Nicová: The Healing Powers of Nature. Leicester, Blitz Editions 1998.
van Wyk, Ben-Erik & Michael Wink: Medicinal Plants of the World. Portland, Oregon, Timber Press 2004.
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