The Oleaceae is named after the type genus, which is Olea or Olive.
For us in the British Isles we associate the family Oleaceae mainly with the genus Fraxinus or Ash.
But there are 4 more genera of the Oleaceae growing in the wild and they are all well known garden shrubs!
Contents:
Oleaceae or Ash Family
Fraxinus spp. or Ash
F. excelsior or (Common) Ash
F. angustifolia or Narrow-leaved Ash (neophyte)
- subsp. angustifolia
- subsp. oxycarpa
F. ornus or Manna Ash (neophyte)
Forsythia spp. (neophyte)
- F. suspensa or Weeping Forsythia
- F. × intermedia or Forsythia (Forsythia suspensa × viridissima)
Jasminum spp.
- J. beesianum or Red Jasmine
- J. nudiflorum or Winter Jasmine
- J. officinale or Summer Jasmine
Syringa vulgaris or Lilac (Neophyte)
Ligustrum spp. or Privet
- L. vulgare or Wild Privet
- L. ovalifolium or Garden Privet (neophyte)
With thanks for information and links provided from the Plant Atlas Online, Wikipedia, RBG Kew; Plants of the World Online, the Woodland Trust and other websites. Pictures by Mike Poulton, Matt Summers and Wikipedia Commons with thanks!
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