Fraxinus americana Linnaeus. Common name: White Ash, American Ash. Phenology: Apr-May; Aug-Oct. Habitat: Mesic slopes, rich cove forests. Distribution: NS west to MN, south to n. peninsular FL and TX.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Other Comments: A valuable timber tree.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Mi, Mo3, NY, S, S13, Tn, Campbell (2017), Miller (1955), Nesom (2010i); < Fraxinus americana L. — Ar, C, Fl6, GrPl, Il, K4, NcTx, NE, Tat, Tx, Va, W, WH3, Hardin (1974), Ward (2010a); < Fraxinus americana L. var. americana — F, G, Pa, RAB, WV; > Fraxinus americana L. var. curtissii (Vasey) Sudw.; > Fraxinus americana L. var. iodocarpa (Fernald) Fernald ex Rehder; > Fraxinus americana L. var. microcarpa A.Gray — F; > Fraxinus curtissii Vasey; Fraxinus americana L. — (basionym)
Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Great Plains: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Midwest: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Northcentral & Northeast: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
Heliophily ⓘ: 5
Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.











Feedback
See something wrong or missing on about Fraxinus americana? Let us know here: (Please include your name and email if at all complicated so we can clarify if needed.) We greatly appreciate feedback, and will include updates from you in our next webapp update, which can take a few months.
Horticultural Information
Intro:
Stems: Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) brown or gray or green or orange or purple or reddish-brown, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous or pubescent. Leaf scars crescent-shaped or half-round or U-shaped, bundle scars numerous, stipule scars absent. Bark of mature trunks furrowed or ridged. Buds axillary or superposed or terminal, black or brown or reddish-brown, conic or ovoid or ovoid-conic, blunt, glabrate or pubescent, puberulent, bud scales imbricate.
Leaves: Leaves deciduous, compound, once pinnately compound, petiolate, opposite, 20-30 cm long. Leaf upper surface green, glabrous. Leaf lower surface gray or green or white, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent, pilose. Leaflets petiolulate, (5-)7(-9) per leaf, 5-15(-18) cm long, 3-7.5 cm wide, lanceolate or oblong or obovate or oval or ovate, leaflet margins entire or crenate or serrate, leaflet apices acuminate or acute or obtuse, leaflet bases cuneate or oblique or obtuse or rounded, leaflet venation pinnate, terminal leaflet present (odd-pinnate). Petioles glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Rachises glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Stipules absent.
Inforescence: Inflorescences axillary, fascicles or panicles, flowers stalked.
Flowers: Flowers unisexual or pistillate or staminate, hypogynous. Perianth. Calyx radially symmetric, synsepalous. Sepals 4 per flower, calyx tubes 1-2 mm long, persistent. Corolla absent. Androecium. Stamens 2(-3) per flower, separate. Gynoecium. Ovaries superior, pistils 1 per flower. Gynoecium syncarpous, 2 carpels per flower, styles 1 per pistil, placentation axile.
Fruits: Fruits samaras, (1.5-)2.5-6.5 cm long, brown or tan or yellow or yellow-green, fruit maturation 1 years.
Comments: Abaxial surface of leaflets papillose (use at least 20x magnification); upper edge of leaf scars often with a deep notch; wing extending along the rounded body of the fruit 1/3 its length or less.
Height: (15-)20-30(-50) m tall.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description:
stems: Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) brown or gray or green or orange or purple or reddish-brown, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous or pubescent. Leaf scars crescent-shaped or half-round or U-shaped, bundle scars numerous, stipule scars absent. Bark of mature trunks furrowed or ridged. Buds axillary or superposed or terminal, black or brown or reddish-brown, conic or ovoid or ovoid-conic, blunt, glabrate or pubescent, puberulent, bud scales imbricate.
leaves: Leaves deciduous, compound, once pinnately compound, petiolate, opposite, 20-30 cm long. Leaf upper surface green, glabrous. Leaf lower surface gray or green or white, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent, pilose. Leaflets petiolulate, (5-)7(-9) per leaf, 5-15(-18) cm long, 3-7.5 cm wide, lanceolate or oblong or obovate or oval or ovate, leaflet margins entire or crenate or serrate, leaflet apices acuminate or acute or obtuse, leaflet bases cuneate or oblique or obtuse or rounded, leaflet venation pinnate, terminal leaflet present (odd-pinnate). Petioles glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Rachises glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Stipules absent.
inflorescence: Inflorescences axillary, fascicles or panicles, flowers stalked.
flowers: Flowers unisexual or pistillate or staminate, hypogynous. Perianth. Calyx radially symmetric, synsepalous. Sepals 4 per flower, calyx tubes 1-2 mm long, persistent. Corolla absent. Androecium. Stamens 2(-3) per flower, separate. Gynoecium. Ovaries superior, pistils 1 per flower. Gynoecium syncarpous, 2 carpels per flower, styles 1 per pistil, placentation axile.
fruits: Fruits samaras, (1.5-)2.5-6.5 cm long, brown or tan or yellow or yellow-green, fruit maturation 1 years.
comments: Abaxial surface of leaflets papillose (use at least 20x magnification); upper edge of leaf scars often with a deep notch; wing extending along the rounded body of the fruit 1/3 its length or less.
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: eastern North America