Fraxinus profunda

Common Names

Pumpkin Ash, Red Ash

Summary

Pumpkin ash is a large deciduous tree native to eastern North America, typically found in swamps, wetlands, floodplains, and bottomlands along rivers. It reaches 12–30 m in height with a trunk up to 0.3–0.6 m in diameter and often forms a buttressed, swollen base on wet sites. Leaves are opposite and pinnately compound with 7–9 leaflets; leaflets 8–20 cm long, lanceolate to elliptic, green above and densely hairy beneath. Flowers are inconspicuous and wind-pollinated; fruit is a long winged samara 5–8 cm long, wind- and water-dispersed; the tree is dioecious with bronzy to purple-red autumn color.

It requires a lot of space and permanently moist soil in full sun, thriving in clay or loam soils with neutral to alkaline pH. Propagation is by seed, with seeds collected in autumn and sown in summer; seed treatment includes cold-warm-cold stratification and germination at 70–85 F. Not recommended for new plantings due to vulnerability to emerald ash borer; wood is heavy and strong, used for lumber, handles, crates, and paper pulp; seeds eaten by wildlife; deer browse on young growth.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

39–98 ft

Spread

30-50 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5a-9b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun, partial sun to partial shade.

Soil Type

Moist to wet loamy mineral soils (silt loam to clay loam), often with a surface layer of muck or shallow peat.

Soil Drainage

Poorly drained, wet to very wet soils

Soil pH

Alkaline to neutral

Bloom Color

Insignificant

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Bronze to purple-red

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

No published growth rate data.

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds and Cuttings, Vegetative reproduction (sprouting from stumps/root; sprouts readily)

Attracts Wildlife

Birds: Yes (seeds and fruits).