Habitat

• native to Europe
• hardy to zone 5

Habit and Form

• a medium-sized, deciduous tree
• 40' to 50' tall
• 25' to 35' wide
• rounded, dense crown
• upright
• multistemmed
• medium texture
• moderate growth rate

Summer Foliage

• opposite leaf arrangement
• leaflets are 3" long with serrated margins
• leaflets have a lanceolate leaf shape
• dark green leaf color
• 5 to 9 leaflets
• pubescent on midrib

Autumn Foliage

• yellowish fall color
• showy

Flowers

• white flowers
• blooms in spring
• showy
• fragrant
• borne in 0.5' long panicles

Fruit

• female plants produce samaras
• large numbers of fruit can be produced
• samaras are 1" to 2" long and narrow
• some describe them as paddle-shaped
• color changes from green to tan as they mature
• persist
• not ornamentally important

Bark

• grayish brown stout stems
• smooth
• gray older bark

Culture

• full sun
• prefers moist, deep, fertile soils for best growth
• quite soil adaptable
• soil pH is not critical
• easily transplanted and established
• tolerant of poorly-drained soils

Landscape Use

• male plants are preferred for landscape purposes
• lawn tree
• shade tree
• street tree
• difficult growing sites
• excellent for parks and campuses
• wood is used for baseball bats

Liabilities

• female trees produce lots of seed, leading to numerous unwanted seedlings
• ash dieback (mycoplasma)
• ash borers
• ash flower galls (male plants) caused by a mite
• ash yellows

ID Features

• opposite leaves
• pinnately compound leaves
• female plants with paddle-shaped samaras
• pubescent, gray-brown buds
• twigs gray and buds brown
• twigs stout

Propagation

• by bud grafting
• by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

'Rotundafolia' - Smaller overall tree compared to species.