help identifying

Hi sweetkitten, yes an Ash, but it looks very close to a wall... Ash trees grow into huge trees.. So they need to be well away from walls & drains etc. because of their roots... They are not really trees for small gardens tbh, but you could do what a friend has done with one.. It has been in the same 12" ceramic pot all it's life & it is now 16yrs old & a 5ft Bonsai.. :D She keeps it very well watered & fed in the summer so it doesn't stress & is a great looking tree,, You could try that, but I certainly wouldn't leave it that close to a wall.....

 

I also think it is ash. In which case you need to get rid of it pretty sharpish.

Not only are they dangerous to buildings but they are difficult to dig out.

The over cautious insurance companies use this chart:-

Safe Distances

Distance from House (m)
Oak 30
Elm 30
Hawthorn 12
Ash 21
Sycamore 17
Birch 10
Maple 20
Popular 35
Willow 40
Cyprus 20
Rowan 11
Magnolia 5
Walnut 14
Laburnum 9
Horse Chestnut 23
Beech 15
Plane 22

The more generally accepted distances are:-

Willow 18m
Poplar 20m
Oak 18m
Elm 19m
Horse Chestnut 15m
Ash 10m
Maple 9-12m (depending on species)
Cyprus 2.5m
Lime 11m
Beech 9m
Plane 10m
Robinia 8.5m
Birch 4m
Cherry 3m
Rowan 5m

The damage and the need for these distances ONLY applies to shrinkable clay soils. Non-shrinkable soils can have the trees nearer but I don't know by how much.

 

You can see from the chart that it is at least 30ft to close .

The other problem with ash is that the seeds grow like mad. If you have an ash tree then you will have seedlings popping up by the hundred - and they are not easy to get out.

Dai has put it very succintly.

 

If it's in a pot you can keep it with no trouble but be careful about the roots. They will easily go through the bottom of the pot and into the ground. Turn the pot over at least every three months and cut off any root they may try to come through the bottom.

Seems a bit of a waste of time as it is a very boring tree for a pot and it is already too big to bonsai. Ash is quite fast growing so it will just get leggy but won't reach the normal 90ft high, 60 ft spread and 12ft circumference.