Ash

Elegant and beautiful, rich in history and supremely useful, the ash tree has played an extraordinary yet largely unrecognised part in shaping both our natural environment and the material culture and beliefs of millions of people around the world. Ash charts the evolution of this magnificent tree, and its 43 species, across the Northern Hemisphere for the past 44 million years. From its significance in ancient Indo-European cultures, to its remarkable properties in treating Alzheimer’s, Parker looks at the botany, cultural history and medicinal uses of the ash tree. He also looks at topical issues, such as the devastating effects that the spread of the emerald ash borer beetle and the ash dieback fungal infection are having on Northern Hemisphere forests.