Late to leaf, the ash unfurls its foliage only around late spring, then holds it until the very end of autumn. Prized for dense firewood, health benefits and an elegant unpruned shape, this hardwood (Fraxinus excelsior) wants a luminous spot 30 feet from walls — given that, it nears adult size within five years.
Key facts about the Ash tree
Name – Fraxinus excelsior
Family – Oleaceae
Type – tree
Height – 32 to 100 feet (10 to 30 meters)
Exposure – full sun
Soil – rich, rather chalky
Foliage – deciduous
Flowering – early spring to late spring (after 30 years of age)
The Ash tree is planted in fall in ordinary soil, either enriched or naturally so.
It’s important to plant your ash tree in a luminous spot of the garden, away from other trees.
Since it grows tall, try to keep a strict minimum of at least 20 feet (6 m) from house walls. Having 30 feet (10 m) or more is best to avoid issues later on.
When propagating through seed, autumn is the best season because the winter colds would slow its growth. Early autumn and mid-autumn are thus the best months to plant your ash tree in a large nursery pot.
If you live in a very windy spot, placing a stake in the ground to keep the plant upright will keep it from toppling over and is strongly recommended.
Once the cold season is over, you may transplant the seedling to the ground in spring.
The ash tree won’t require any care, and doesn’t also need any pruning. If you feel your soil is very poor, you can help it with a very small dose of fertilizer (phosphorus and potassium) during the first few months. The growth phase of this tree is in spring (before the blooming). The blooming lasts from early spring to late spring.
At the beginning of spring, remember to remove undesirable buds from the trunk. When you observe that a branch is growing well, it’s recommended to pinch or snip off the tip of the branch to stop its growth.
Psyllids (which are sap-suckers) look like small grasshoppers and often spread diseases. They can harm a tree quite a lot. Overall, though, ash is a very resilient tree.
The pruning, if needed, should be performed in mid-autumn.
As regards the harvest, it’s recommended to collect young ash tree leaves when they secrete a gummy, sticky substance. That’s when the health benefits of ash are at their highest.
The most adequate time frame for this is between late spring and early summer. However, to harvest some bark, best act in fall. Once you’ve collected your bark or leaves, dry them in a dry and ventilated spot.
Ash is a flower tree that grows up to 100 feet (30 meters) and even 130 feet (40 meters). Its flowers are red and the leafage is deciduous.
As mentioned above, there are over sixty ash tree species around the planet.
However, the most common varieties are, among others:
– red ash or “Fraxinus pennsylvanica” that grows in open spaces,
– white ash or “Fraxinus americana” that, conversely, grows best in forests,
– Fraxinus angustifolia has narrow leaves,
– and, last but not least, black ash (very famous in Canada) which grows very well in cold marshes, along riversides or in oft-swamped forests.
Of the sixty-odd ash species around the planet, only a handful are commonly planted. They differ mainly in the kind of ground and situation they thrive in.
| Common name | Botanical name | Where it grows best | Distinguishing point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red ash | Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Open spaces | One of the most common varieties |
| White ash | Fraxinus americana | Forests | Prefers woodland, unlike red ash |
| Narrow-leaved ash | Fraxinus angustifolia | Not specified | Narrow leaves |
| Black ash | Not specified | Cold marshes, riversides, oft-swamped forests | Very famous in Canada |
Whichever you plant, allow for a tree that can reach 100 feet and a trunk over 3 feet across.
Beyond the wild species, a handful of named ash cultivars are offered by ordinary tree nurseries and garden centres. They are chosen mainly for size, autumn colour and the job they do in the garden.
| Variety | Species | Autumn colour | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Pendula’ (weeping ash) | Fraxinus excelsior | Yellow | Shade dome, focal point |
| ‘Autumn Purple’ | Fraxinus americana | Deep purple to red | Shade tree on lawns |
| ‘Raywood’ (claret ash) | Fraxinus angustifolia | Plum purple | Avenue, large garden |
| ‘Summit’ | Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Golden yellow | Narrow upright street tree |
| ‘Patmore’ | Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Clear yellow | Cold, exposed sites |
Ash is a tree that grows quite fast, and, in time, the trunk can grow to a width of over 3 feet (1 meter).
Leafage is a bit particular in that it appears quite late, around late spring, but it will stay on the tree until the very end of autumn.
Ash is known for the many health benefits it procures the body.
Incidentally, it is among one of the best possible firewoods, since it’s dense and hard.
The ash tree is hardy and will grow in almost any kind of environment!
Once you’ve transplanted your seedlings to the ground, watch how fast your ash tree will grow: it will near adult size within 5 years!
