Habitat
- native to Europe
- hardy to zone 5
Habit
and Form
- a large deciduous tree
- 60' to 80' tall
- generally wider than tall
- dense rounded crown
- medium texture
- fast growth rate
Summer
Foliage
- opposite leaf arrangement
- odd, pinnately compound leaves
- leaves are up to 1' long
- leaves contain 7 to 11 leaflets
- leaflets are ovate shaped
- leaflets are 2" to 4" long
- serrated leaf margins
- pubescent
- medium green leaf color
Autumn
Foliage
- no fall color, leaves drop green
- some cultivars have yellow fall color
Flowers
- greenish flowers
- bloom in spring
- not showy
Fruit
- female plants produce samaras
- samara is green and elongated
- 1" to 2" long
- clustered in bunches
- turn brown in winter
- persist
- not ornamentally important
Bark
- branches low on trunk
- grayish brown bark
- young stems are gray and stout
Culture
- full sun
- soil tolerant
- salt tolerant
- needs regular pruning
- prefers moist, deep, fertile soils for best growth
- soil pH is not critical
- easily transplanted and established
Landscape
Use
- male plants are preferred for landscape purposes
- lawn tree
- shade tree
- difficult growing sites
- excellent for parks and campuses
Liabilities
- female trees produce lots of seed, leading to numerous unwanted
seedlings
- fruit can also be a litter problem
- ash dieback (mycoplasma)
- ash borers
- ash flower galls (male plants) caused by a mite
- ash yellows
ID
Features
- opposite leaves
- pinnately compound leaves
- female plants with paddle-shaped samaras
- black, pubescent, sessile buds
- twigs gray and buds brown
- twigs stout
Propagation
Cultivars/Varieties
Though many cultivars are recorded in the literature, they are very rarely
available in this country. Our native ashes predominate in commerce.
'Hessei' - The most commonly available European ash, this plant grows
quickly to 60' tall with an oval-rounded habit. The leaves are simple and bear
prominent marginal serrations. Testing indicates, however, a strong tendency
for borer damage in this country.