Fraxinus americana
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- FRAK-si-nus a-mer-ih-KAY-nah
- Description
-
White Ash is a deciduous tree that may grow 60-90 feet tall. The leaves are opposite and pinnately compound with 5-9 (mostly 7) leaflets. The bark is yellow-brown to light gray and corky with deep furrows that separate short, pointed ridges. Small, light green to purple flowers, with no petals, mature in loose panicles in the spring. The tree produces a one-winged, dry, flattened samara with a full, rounded, seed cavity that matures in the fall.
Ash trees have male and female flowers on separate trees and only the female flowers develop into fruits. Purchasing male trees will prevent you from having to deal with the fruits which can be a bit of a nuisance near a walkway. It is worth considering planting female ash trees though, because the fruits are born in clusters among the foliage and add a sophisticated note of unusual dimension to the trees in late summer.
The cultivars of White Ash are generally much more desirable than seedling trees and are well worth seeking out. A few of the many excellent ones include: 'Autumn Applause' - known for its maroon fall color, dense branching and gracefully drooping foliage, 'Autumn Blaze' - a female selection with purple fall color, 'Autumn Purple' - a male with excellent displays of purple-red foliage in the fall, and 'Chicago Regal' - a vigorous grower which develops purple fall color.
The White ash is the largest of the native ashes.
White Ash is a valuable timber tree Its wood is commercially used for a variety of products including tool handles, oars, garden furniture and sports equipment. White ash is the wood used for the Louisville Slugger baseball bat.
Fire Risk: This plant has a low flammability rating.
Seasons of Interest:
Leaves: Fall; Fruit/Seed: Summer
Insects, Diseases, and Other Pest Problems: Emerald ash borer will will typically kill an ash tree within 3-5 years after inestation One infestation accurs, it is difficult to eradicate this pest which feeds under the bark and bores into the wood. Other potential problems are ash borer, lilac borer, carpenter worm, oyster shell scale, leaf miners, fall websworms, ash sawflies and ash leaf curl aphid. Potential disease problems include fungal leaf spots, powdery mildew, rst, anthracnose, cankers and ash yellows. General ash decline is also a concern. Brittle branches are susceptible to damage from high winds, snow and ice.
Planting new ash trees is no longer recommended due to the trees susceptibilty to the emerald ash borer.
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Autumn Applause'
- 'Autumn Blaze'
- 'Autumn Purple'
- 'Chicago Regal'
- 'Rose Hill'
- 'Autumn Applause'
- Tags:


- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Autumn Applause'
- 'Autumn Blaze'
- 'Autumn Purple'
- 'Chicago Regal'
- 'Rose Hill'
- 'Autumn Applause'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Fraxinus
- Species:
- americana
- Family:
- Oleaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The juice from leaves used on mosquito bites for relief of swelling and itching and are a prophylactic measure for snake bites.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern North America and Mexico
- Distribution:
- Eastern canada to Minnesota to west Colorado south to Texas east to Florida north up through Maine
- Fire Risk Rating:
- low flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- The seeds of the White ash are enjoyed by birds, squirrel, and other small mammals. White ash is a larval plant for tiger swallowtail and mourning cloak butterflies. The bark is eaten by rabbits, porcupines and beavers. The foliage is browsed by white-tailed deer.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Wildlife Cover/Habitat
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wildlife Nesting
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Resistant to fire in landscape. Generally tolerant of urban conditions.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 60 ft. 0 in. - 90 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 50 ft. 0 in. - 75 ft. 0 in.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Tree
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Oval
- Pyramidal
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Soil pH:
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- more than 60 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- Usda Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
-
-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Cream/Tan
- Green
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Samara
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Fertilized female flowers give way to drooping clusters of one winged dry flattened samara (to 2" long) that ripen in fall and may persist on the tree throughout the winter.
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- The flowers are primarily dioecious (separate male and female trees). Clusters of apetalous purplish male and female flowers appear on separate trees in April-May before the late-to-emerge foliage. The flowers lack petals.
-
-
Leaves:
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Purple/Lavender
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Oblong
- Obovate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The leaf of the white ash are odd-pinnate compound leaves with 7 leaflets (less frequently 5 or 9). Oval to oblong-lanceolate leaflets (3-5" long) are dark green above and whitish green below The foliage turns yellow with purple shading in the fall.
-
-
Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Brown
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Furrowed
- Ridges
- Bark Description:
- The bark is yellow-brown to ight gray and corky with deep furrows that separate short, pointed ridges.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Recreational Play Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Edible Garden
- Native Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Fire
- Rabbits
- Urban Conditions
- Wet Soil