What type of tree is Yggdrasil?

In Norse tradition, Yggdrasil is an ash tree and the great world tree connecting the cosmos.

Yggdrasil is described in Old Norse myth as a vast tree whose branches extend over the worlds and whose roots reach into important mythic realms. The gods hold their daily council beneath it, making it a central meeting place as well as a cosmic structure. Its roots are associated with wells and realms such as Urðarbrunnr, Mímisbrunnr, and the domain of Niflheim.

The tree is inhabited or visited by several creatures. An eagle sits in its branches, the squirrel Ratatoskr carries messages along its trunk, and the dragon or serpent Níðhöggr gnaws at its roots. These details emphasize the tree’s role as a living framework for conflict, communication, and renewal.

“Ash tree” is the standard quiz answer because Old Norse askr means “ash.” Scholars have debated whether Yggdrasill itself names the tree or whether askr Yggdrasils is the fuller phrase, but ash remains the conventional identification.