Fraxinus americana
Common name: 
White Ash
American Ash
Pronunciation: 
FRAKS-i-nus a-mer-i-KA-na
Family: 
Oleaceae
Genus: 
Fraxinus
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Broadleaf deciduous tree, 50-80 ft (15-24 m) high, similar spread, maintains a central leader in youth.  Lateral buds inserted in the leaf scar.  Leaves opposite, pinnately compound, 20-38 cm long, 5-9 leaflets (usually 7), each 5-15 cm long, basal leaves the shortest, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, usually entire, or edged near the apex or all of the margin with remote serrations, dark green and glabrous above, limited pubescence on major veins below; fall color from yellow to maroon to deep purple.  Flowers dioecious - male and female flowers on separate plants, lack petals, green to reddish purple, in clusters, appear before the leaves but not important ornamentally.  Fruit, single winged samara, 2.5-5 cm long.
  • Sun.  Growth may be best in deep, moist, well-drained soil, however, fall color better in full sun.  Not considered as adaptable as Green Ash, but rated higher for its ornamental attributes.
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 4    Native range from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas.
  • Alert: An invasive, non-native, insect pest, the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is present in Oregon and in much of the easthern U.S. The larvee of this pest feed on the inner bark of ash trees native to North America and Eurpoe, disrupting nutrient and water transport, which often results in tree death. For more information on this potentionally devistataing insect pest, click on Fraxinus in the Genus listing above.
  • A number of selections, including:
    • Autumn Applause®   -   seedless, oval form, densely branched, leaves somewhat drooping, leaflets smaller than usual, fall color deep purple to mahogany.
    • Autumn Purple® (syn. 'Junginger')  -   seedless, rounded habit, dark green leaves, fall color deep purple to mahogany.  .
    • Cimmaron®  -  seedless; has red to orange-red fall color.  Introduced as, and often sold as, a Green Ash (Acer pennsylvanica), but likely a selection of F. americana (Jacobson, 1996).  Oregon State Univ. campus: row planted north of the softball field on Western Ave.
    • ‘Rosehill’  -  seedless, rapid straight growth, broad habit, leaves dark green, fall color yellow, pinkish, or bronze-red, tolerates poor, alkaline soil.
    • ‘Royal Purple’  -  upright habit, fall color royal purple (sometimes listed as F. pennsylvanica).
    • Skyline®  (syn. ‘Skycole’)  -  seedless, upright branches, oval crown, leaves glossy medium green, fall color orange-red.  "suspiciously similar...to F. americana ‘Elk Grove’" (Jacobson, 1996, p. 212).
    • Windy CityTM (syn.'Tures')  -  few fruit, oval habit, strong central leader, fall color burgundy to reddish-orange, with gold and yellow accents.
  • Corvallis: north side of Central Park on Monroe Ave; also on 3rd St. between Adams and Washington Ave (both Autumn Purple®).

 

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  • plant habit

    plant habit

  • leaves

    leaves

  • leaf

    leaf

  • leaflet

    leaflet

  • leaves and fruit clusters

    leaves and fruit clusters

  • developing fruit

    developing fruit

  • plant habit, early fall

    plant habit, early fall

  • plant habit, fall

    plant habit, fall

  • foliage, fall

    foliage, fall

  • leaf, fall

    leaf, fall

  • trunk, bark

    trunk, bark

  • winter twig

    winter twig