Flora of the Southeastern United States

Fraxinus caroliniana P. Miller. Common name: Water Ash, Pop Ash, Carolina Ash. Phenology: May; Jul-Oct. Habitat: Deeply to shallowly flooded swamps, both alluvial and tidal. Distribution: Se. MD south to n. FL, west to TX, primarily on the Coastal Plain.

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Taxonomy Comments: J.J.N. Campbell (pers. comm., 2020) suggests recognizing a varietal entity in the Apalachicola region of Panhandle FL, with smaller leaves and leaflets, proportionally broader samaras, and mature at shrub size.

Other Comments: A small tree, sometimes very abundant (and nearly the only subcanopy species) as the understory in Taxodium-Nyssa swamps. Reported for se. MD by Longbottom, Naczi, & Knapp (2016).

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, G, RAB, Tx, Va, Hardin & Beckmann (1982), Hardin (1974), Miller (1955), Nesom (2010i); = Fraxinus caroliniana Mill. var. caroliniana — Ward (2010a); = n/a — Tat; < Fraxinus caroliniana Mill. — Fl6, GW2, K4, S, S13, WH3; > Fraxinus caroliniana Mill. var. caroliniana — F; > Fraxinus caroliniana Mill. var. cubensis (Griseb.) Lingelsh. — F, misapplied; > Fraxinus caroliniana Mill. var. oblanceolata (M.A.Curtis) Fernald & Schub. — F; Fraxinus caroliniana Mill. Basionym: Fraxinus caroliniana Mill. 1768

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)

Heliophily ⓘ: 3