Green Ash
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 Green Ash leaf and bark
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| Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh. |
Green Ash or Red Ash is a species of ash native to eastern and central North America, from central Saskatchewan and southern Quebec south to eastern Texas and northern Florida; also the western U.S. states of Montana, Utah, and New Mexico, eastward. It is common in the wet soils of swamps, river valleys that are submerged part of the year, and in swamp forests.
It is a medium-sized deciduous tree reaching 15-25 m (45-75 ft.) tall with a trunk up to 50 cm in diameter. The tree's autumn color is an attractive golden-yellow, and the tree is usually the earliest to change color, sometimes being in autumn color as early as Labor Day. The flowers are produced in spring at the same time as the new leaves, in compact panicles; they are inconspicuous with no petals, and are wind-pollinated. The fruit is a samara comprising a single seed 1.5-2 cm long with an elongated apical wing 2-3 cm long and 5-7 mm broad.
It is sometimes divided into two varieties (Red Ash and Green Ash) on the basis of the narrower leaflets of the latter, but the two intergrade completely, and the distinction is no longer upheld by most botanists.
It is seriously threatened in some areas, particularly Michigan, by the emerald ash borer, a beetle introduced accidentally from Asia.
[edit] Uses
Green Ash is one of the most widely planted ornamental trees throughout the United States, including in western areas where it is not native. It has several drawbacks as an urban tree, notably a relatively short lifespan compared to many trees (rarely over 100 years, often only 30-50 years), and (recently) the threat from the emerald ash borer. Advantages include its tolerance of urban conditions, ease of propagation, and (in eastern North America) its value for wildlife as a native species.
