The Tree House Forest Product Information Sheet

No.86 MANNA

COMMON NAME: MANNA, MANNA ASH, FLOWERING ASH

GENUS & SPECIES: Fraxinus ornus

FAMILY: OLEACEAE

FAMILY RELATIONS: OLIVES, JASMINE, PRIVET

GENERAL: The manna ash is a rounded deciduous tree that can reach a height of 20m. It was originally native to southern Europe and western Asia but is now cultivated worldwide as an ornamental garden tree. The leaves are deep green in colour and composed of 5-9 leaflets that are oblong in shape and combine to produce a leaf that may be 25cm long. The creamy white flowers appear in late spring in panicles and are followed by a fruit that is up to 3cm long. Although the manna ash is indigenous to biblical lands there is no knowing if it is the " manna from heaven" mentioned in the bible as their are many plants called manna in one form or another.

ECOLOGY: The manna ash is fully frost hardy and prefers a well drained fertile soil in a position that receives full sun.

CULINARY USES: The useful part of the manna ash is the yellowy saccharine exudation that is collected from the incised bark. Although this has no culinary use it is very nutritional and is sometimes mixed with rhubarb to be taken by a convalescing patient.

MEDICINAL USES: The exudation of the manna ash is high in fraxin, which makes it a mild laxative. It can be used for children and pregnant women.