Red Ash, Green ash, Water Ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Family: Oleaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Green. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Oval, Upright or erect.
Fraxinus pennsylvanica is a deciduous Tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 20 m (65ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.
Height (m): 20
Where it is found
Streambanks, floodplains and wet upland sites, rarely in pure stands.
Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Alberta, south to Florida and Texas.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Inner bark - cooked. The cambium layer can be scraped down in long, fluffy layers and cooked. It is said to taste like eggs. Inner bark can also be dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread.
Inner bark: the bark that is found just beneath the tough outer bark of trees and shrubs.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The bark and leaves are a bitter tonic. An infusion of the inner bark has been used in the treatment of depression and fatigue. The root is diuretic.
Bitter: Increases the appetite and stimulates digestion by acting on the mucous membranes of the mouth. Also increases the flow of bile, stimulates repair of the gut wall lining and regulates the secretion of insulin and glucogen.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 3
Agroforestry Uses: A fairly wind resistant tree, it can be grown as part of a shelterbelt planting and is used in reforestation projects. Landscape Uses - Aggressive surface roots possible, Pollard, Street tree. A red dye is extracted from the bark. Logs of wood can be beaten with mauls to separate the growth layers, these layers can then be cut into strips and woven into baskets. Wood - hard, heavy, rather strong, tough, elastic, brittle, coarse-grained. It weighs 44lb per cubic foot. Used for tool handles, furniture etc. The wood is of poorer quality than F. americana, though it is usually sold under that name.
Basketry: Plant used in making baskets and other items such as chairs. Includes plants that are only used as an ornamental addition.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Shelterbelt: Wind resistant plants than can be grown to provide shelter in the garden etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
How it is grown
Prefers deep loamy soil, even if it is on the heavy side. Fraxinus pennsylvanica tolerates a broad range of temperatures and precipitation and is probably the most adaptable of all the ash species. It is a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -30°c when fully dormant Prefers a deep loamy soil, even if it is on the heavy side. Most members of this genus are gross feeders and require a rich soil. Plants succeed when growing in exposed positions and also in alkaline soils. They tolerate atmospheric pollution. A fast-growing tree. Plants have little tolerance of shade. Cultivated as a timber tree in C. and S.E. Europe where it is sometimes naturalized. The cultivar 'Patmore' is disease resistant. A recently introduced invasive pest, the Emerald Ash Borer has rapidly spread across much of N. America and is devastating the genus Fraxinus. The borer infests and feeds on all the North American ash species it has so far encountered. The nature of the infestation (larval feeding in the phloem) effectively girdles trees as small as 25mm in diameter, which is many years before reproductive maturity, leading to death within five years of infestation. The borer, therefore, causes virtually 100% mortality of Ash populations. The Ash species are unable to persist for very long through vegetative reproduction, and seeds only remain viable in the soil for at most 7 - 8 years, so regeneration after borer infestation is minimal or nonexistent. Furthermore, the borer persists in forests with low population densities after major ash population crashes, so the orphaned cohort of ash seedlings that remains is quickly infested as they reach a suitable size. A dioecious species - both male and female forms must be grown if fruit and seed are required. The cultivar 'Patmore' is disease resistant. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Special Features: North American native, Attracts butterflies, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: The seed is best harvested green - as soon as it is fully developed but before it has fully dried on the tree - and can then be sown immediately in a cold frame. It usually germinates in the spring. Stored seed requires a period of cold stratification and is best sown as soon as possible in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions or a nursery bed in late spring or early summer of the following year. If you have sufficient seed then it is possible to sow it directly into an outdoor seedbed, preferably in the autumn. Grow the seedlings on in the seedbed for 2 years before transplanting either to their permanent positions or to nursery beds.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 3-9
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
F. lanceolata. F. pubescens.