Ash dieback experts identify shoots of hope for Britain’s threatened trees

Trees killed by ash dieback in West Sussex. An estimated 2bn seedlings and saplings are at risk in the British Isles. Photograph: Andy Soloman/Alamy

The UK is home to more than 100m mature ash trees, and every spring tells the same grim story: leaves emerge, wither and drop within weeks, as ash dieback disease tightens its grip.

Millions stand dead in woodlands and hedgerows across the British Isles, with an estimated 2bn seedlings and saplings at risk. Many experts have long feared the future of this cherished, ecologically important native tree hangs in the balance.