Manna ash or Common ash: how to tell them apart?
Manna ash and Common ash look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Manna ash
Fraxinus ornus
Common ash
Fraxinus excelsior
The common ash has petal-less, inconspicuous flowers, black buds and larger leaflets, whereas the manna ash has brownish buds, small, clearly visible scented white flowers and smaller leaflets.
🍃 Leaves
Compound, 5 to 9 toothed leaflets, smaller than those of the common ash
Compound, 9 to 13 toothed leaflets
🌸 Flowers
Large scented white panicles, unlike the common ash
Small, petal-less, in dense clusters
🍎 Fruits
Narrow samaras in clusters
Elongated samaras in bunches persisting through winter
🪵 Bark
Grey, smooth for a long time
Grey, smooth then finely fissured
📏 Size
8 to 15 m tall
25 to 35 m tall
🗺️ Habitat
Dry hillsides of southern France, often planted in avenues
Cool, fertile soils, often along watercourses
⚠️ Toxicity
No known toxicity
No known toxicity
🔎 And from the Common ash side
The common ash has petal-less, inconspicuous flowers and larger leaflets, whereas the manna ash has small, clearly visible scented white flowers and smaller leaflets.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.