Green ash

Encyclopedia : G : GR : GRE : Green ash

Green Ash or Red Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) 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 (exceptionally 37 m) tall with a trunk up to 50 cm (exceptionally 90 cm) diameter. The leaves are opposite, pinnate, with 7-9 leaflets; each leaf is 20-35 cm long, the leaflets 6-12 cm long and 3-5 cm broad, with an entire or finely toothed margin. 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, Fraxinus pennsylvanica var pennsylvanica (Red Ash) and Fraxinus pennsylvanica var lanceolata (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.

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.

External links

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.