Ash trees
In woodland ash trees grow straight and tall but old ash trees in fields and parks are normally short and stout. Old ash trees also often have parts missing such as branches and bits of trunk so that the decaying insides can be seen. The bark is grey and cracked and ‘leaves’ are made up of an uneven number of smaller leaf-like parts (known as ‘leaflets’) – usually seven or nine but sometimes more. Seeds (also called ‘keys’) often hang in clusters from the trees well into the summer.
Alder
The native alder is usually found near water or at least in wet ground and the relatively few really old trees tend to be old pollards (trees which have had their upper branches pruned) in wood pasture. The bark of old trees is cracked and similar to oak and the leaves are flattened at the top (like a modern tennis racquet) and have serrated edges. Alders also have catkins and small fruits which look a bit like the cones of some conifer trees.