Manna ash is named after the food described in the Bible because of its sweet sap extract. The sugar alcohol mannitol and the sugar mannose can be taken from this sap. This has one of the prettiest flower shows of the ashes, appearing in May; its other common name is flowering ash. The dark-gray bark on this tree remains smooth, even in old trees. The leaves form in bundles of five to nine leaflets, with finely serrated edges, turning yellow-purple in fall.
Like other ash trees that are not native to North America, this Asian species may have greater resistance to emerald ash borer, although the precise reason for this is not yet understood.
Native area: Southern Europe and southwestern Asia
USDA growing zones: 6 to 9
Height: 40 to 50 feet tall
Sun exposure: Full sun