Description
Book SynopsisAsh is a beautifully illustrated account of the botanical and cultural faces of the ash tree. The book maps the tree’s evolution and geographical spread across the entire Northern Hemisphere over the last 44 million years, and describes the 43 species that grace the planet today. Edward Parker also explores the botany, cultural history and medicinal uses of the tree, from its significance in ancient Indo-European cultures, to its remarkable properties in treating Alzheimer’s disease. In addition he 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.
Trade Review"The triumph and tragedy of the ash is one of the stories that define our age. Few trees are more beautiful and so bountiful in the number of species they support, and none are so versatile in the uses we have found for it. Parker's book fills one with admiration for this wonderful tree even as we weep for its fate." -- Peter Marren, author of "Rainbow Dust: Three Centuries of Butterfly Delight"
