 White
Ash
Fraxinus americana--White Ash
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Height: 70 ft
Spread: 50 ft
Form: rounded
Type: deciduous tree
Annual Growth Rate: 12 to 18 inches
Why is White Ash in our Tree of the Week column? Well, what follows is what we used to say about White Ash before the Emerald Ash Borer
(EAB) came along. Now that we're not planting it anymore, and the critter is removing our ash trees from landscapes,
MSU has developed a list of alternative
trees, that have some of the same growth and tolerance characteristics. You can find some of them by following this link.
Perhaps someday the researchers will find a way to really combat this
pest, and we can start planting Ash again. You can check out the web
site dedicated to providing current information about EAB
(standard disclaimer: you'll be leaving Trim Pines' web site. We don't
guarantee the accuracy of information provided by other web sites).
Comments: White Ash is resistant to heat and drought but produces unwanted volunteer trees. Using the cultivars can avoid this problem. The tree's growth rate is rapid when young, becoming moderate with age. White Ash prefers a sunny exposure and grows in most soil types. The tree is easy to transplant and its main ornamental feature is the yellow and purple fall color. A good tree for large open areas but much too large for home landscapes.
Cultivars:
Autumn Applause(R)(PP3769) - A small, dense, oval seedless form reaching a height of 40 feet and a spread of 25 feet. It provides a purple fall color.
'Autumn Blaze' - This cultivar is a Morden introduction and does well under prairie conditions. The fall foliage color is purple. Only light crops of seeds are produced.
'Junginger' (Autumn Purple(R)) - A rounded cultivar reaching a height of 45 feet and a spread of 40 feet. The fall color varies from orange to purple. Check out more trees from the
Tree of the Week Archive. |
