Backstone Bank and Baal Hill Woods one side valley, there is a small population of small-leaved lime, "Tilia cordata", which occurs here close to its northern limit and at an unusually high altitude. On base-rich soils, the woodland typically consists of ash, "Fraxinus excelsior", and wych elm, "Ulmus glabra", over an understorey of hazel, "Corylus avellana", and bird cherry, "Prunus padus", and a rich ground flora that includes lady-fern, "Athyrium filix-femina", male fern, "Dryopteris filix-mas", and hard shield-fern, "Polystichum aculeatum". On more acid soils, sessile oak, "Quercus petraea", and birch, "Betula sp.", are dominant. The under-storey, of hazel, holly, "Ilex aquifolium", rowan, "Sorbus aucuparia", and hawthorn,
Mountain Ash East Newtown, Caegarw, Cwmpennar and Cefnpennar. According to the 2011 UK Census Mountain Ash East had a population of 2,909. Mountain Ash East includes the village's Grade II listed St Margaret's Church, designed by John Pollard Seddon. An electoral ward of Mountain Ash East pre-existed the community. The ward elects one county councillor to Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council. Since 1995 the ward has been represented on the council by Plaid Cymru councillor, Pauline Jarman, who was previously a councillor on Cynon Valley Borough Council. She first stood for election in 1976. Cllr Jarman has been leader of the Plaid