Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Originating from central and eastern Canada to the eastern United States, this native, fast-growing North American deciduous tree tolerates diverse soils and urban conditions, reaches about 60–70 ft in height with a broad round crown, bears opposite pinnately compound leaves of 5–9 leaflets, produces light-colored samaras 2.5–5 cm long, provides wildlife value through its seeds and flowers, and is highly susceptible to the emerald ash borer.
Common Names
Green Ash, Red Ash, Water Ash, Swamp Ash
Summary
Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) is a North American native deciduous tree in the Oleaceae family that typically reaches 50–70 ft tall and 35–50 ft wide, with an upright to rounded crown, leaves opposite and pinnately compound with 5–9 leaflets; leaflets measure 2.5–5 in long and foliage turns yellow in fall, the bark is gray-brown with diamond-shaped ridges, and the tree is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate trees; fertile female flowers develop into drooping panicles of winged samaras about 27–40 mm long, commonly found in floodplains, riverbanks, swamps, and bottomlands, and it is also widely planted as a shade or street tree in urban areas. For cultivation and maintenance, Green Ash prefers full sun and well-drained soils but tolerates a wide range of soils, including clay, loam, and silt, and can endure flooding and drought once established. It benefits from regular pruning when young to develop a strong central trunk, though surface roots may lift sidewalks, so site selection and root barriers help. Planting new trees is not recommended in many areas due to susceptibility to Emerald Ash Borer, a destructive pest; monitoring and preventive treatments are advised. Wood is valued for tool handles, oars, sports equipment, and furniture, and the species provides shade, wildlife habitat, and erosion control, making it a versatile landscape tree in USDA zones 3–9.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
50-70 feet
Spread
35-50 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-9
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally Full Sun; no strict sunlight preference; tolerates Full Sun to Partial Shade.
Soil Type
Moist, well-drained loamy soils, alluvial floodplain soils along rivers and streams
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
7.5-8.0
Bloom Color
Yellowish green to greenish purple
Bloom Time
Spring (April to May)
Foliage Color
Green, turning yellow in autumn
Fall Foliage Color
Yellow
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Fast
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings
Attracts Wildlife
Birds, Bees, Butterflies, Other pollinators
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Marshall
- Publication
- Arbust. Amer. : 51 (1785)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Lamiales
- Family
- Oleaceae
- Genus
- Fraxinus
Synonyms
Leptalix cinerea Leptalix elliptica Leptalix expansa Leptalix fusca Leptalix rubicunda Leptalix rufa Leptalix ovata Leptalix lancifolia Leptalix longifolia Leptalix media Leptalix pubescens Calycomelia pubescens Calycomelia campestris Calycomelia elliptica Calycomelia expansa Calycomelia lancea Calycomelia lanceolata Calycomelia richardii Fraxinus americana var. pennsylvanica Fraxinus americana subsp. pennsylvanica Fraxinus americana var. pubescens Fraxinus americana var. subpubescens Fraxinus arbutifolia Fraxinus aucubifolia Fraxinus campestris Fraxinus cinerea Fraxinus darlingtonii Fraxinus elliptica Fraxinus expansa Fraxinus fusca Fraxinus glabra Fraxinus juglandifolia var. aucubifolia Fraxinus lancea Fraxinus lanceolata Fraxinus lanceolata var. lindheimeri Fraxinus lanceolata var. macrocarpa Fraxinus lanceolata var. viridis Fraxinus longifolia Fraxinus media Fraxinus nigra var. pubescens Fraxinus ovalis Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. aucubifolia Fraxinus pennsylvanica f. aucubifolia Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. austini-megaphylla Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. campestris Fraxinus pennsylvanica f. colorata Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. lanceolata Fraxinus pennsylvanica f. megaphylla Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. ovata Fraxinus pennsylvanica f. scotica Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. subintegerrima Fraxinus pennsylvanica subsp. subintegerrima Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. viridis Fraxinus platyphylla Fraxinus pubescens Fraxinus pubescens var. boscii Fraxinus pubescens var. coriacea Fraxinus pubescens var. lindheimeri Fraxinus pubescens var. nana Fraxinus pubescens var. subpubescens Fraxinus richardii Fraxinus rubicunda Fraxinus smallii Fraxinus subvillosa Fraxinus viridis Fraxinus viridis var. pubescens Fraxinus viridis var. trialata Fraxinus americana var. pennsylvanica Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. pennsylvanica Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. typica Fraxinus americana var. normale Fraxinus glabra Fraxinus americana subvar. aucubifolia Fraxinus americana var. pennsylvanica Fraxinus pubescens var. subpubescens Leptalix richardii Calycomelia ovata Calycomelia pennsylvanica Fraxinus americana var. rubicunda Fraxinus ceratifolia Fraxinus concolor Fraxinus juglandifolia var. subintegerrima Fraxinus lancifolia Fraxinus oblongocarpa Fraxinus ovata Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. austinii Fraxinus pennsylvanica f. erythrocarpa Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. pubescens Fraxinus pubescens var. ovata Fraxinus rufa Fraxinus trialata Fraxinus pennsylvanica f. pennsylvanica