How to Grow an Ash Tree (Fraxinus)

The Ash tree (Fraxinus)can grow into a medium to large, handsome, shade tree. Ashes often turn lovely colors of vibrant yellow or purple in the autumn and are reasonably easy trees to grow. They can provide beauty in the landscape yet most are well-behaved and versatile in use. Some drop their leaves in the winter and others remain evergreen. Here is some more information on how to grow the ash tree (Fraxinus).

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. There are somewhere between 40 to 60 types of ash trees growing throughtout the United States. In the Eastern half you can find the White Ash (Fraxinus americana), the Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra), the Water Ash (Fraxinus caroliniana), the Indigo Ash (Fraxinus tremillium), the Blue Ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata), the Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and the Pumpkin Ash (Fraxinus profunda).

2. There are even more varieties common to the western half of the country. Two of the more popular are the Shamel ash (Fraxinus uhdei) and the Modesto Ash (Fraxinus velutina).

3. The Shamel ash is an evergreen ash that grows to about 40' in height. This is a good-sized shade tree that is clothed in dark green foliage and prefers winter temperatures that stay above 20'F. Somewhat shallow rooted, these trees can disturb cement walkways and other flat areas. They nevertheless seem to handle high winds fine.

4. A popular tree for areas that get hot in the summer, the Modesto Ash (Fraxinus velutina) is a tree that turns a brilliant yellow in the autumn. Growing between 30 - 50' tall, this fairly fast growing tree forms a round-shaped head that is decorative in the garden and ideal for cooling the house when planted on the south or west facing side of the structure. It can take temperatures down to 0'F and is tolerant of a variety of soils. There are a number of different cultivars of this smaller growing ash tree.

5. 
    
   Raywood Ash Leaf

   Fraxinus angustifolia 'Raywood' (Fraxinus oxycarpa) is a popular Ash native to Europe and Northwest Africa that is often grown for its colorful foliage in the autumn. It handles most temperate climates including hot areas and grows to around 70' - 80' tall. It has rather brittle branches, but is an attractive looking tree.

6. Eastern ashes like plenty of water whereas some of the western varieties like the Modesto Ash are quite drought tolerant. Ashes have a high quality hard wood often used in building. Most are good, stable trees for windy areas and make fine shade trees in the landscape. Ash sawfly and ash borer are the most common pests of the Fraxinus.

Resources

• Landscape design and gardening information

[billips]

on 5/15/2009 Lovely article - I had no idea there was such a variety of Ashes - 5* - B.