The most adaptable native ash. Now fighting for survival. Fraxinus pennsylvanica, the Green Ash, is the most widely distributed and ecologically adaptable native ash in North America, growing from Nova Scotia to Florida and from the Atlantic coast to the Rocky Mountain foothills in conditions that would stress most other large hardwoods. It tolerates flooding, drought, alkaline soils, urban compaction, and cold winters with a resilience that made it one of the most commonly planted street and shade trees in North American cities for most of the 20th century. It is also one of the species most devastated by the Emerald Ash Borer, which has killed hundreds of millions of Green Ash trees since the beetle was discovered in 2002. Growing Green Ash from seed today is a contribution to the genetic reservoir of a species under extraordinary pressure. If you are looking to buy Green Ash seeds or grow native ash from seed, every tree matters during what may be the most significant American tree die-off since the chestnut blight. The most widely distributed native ash in North America, adaptable to an enormous range of soils and conditions Tolerates flooding, drought, alkaline soils, and urban stress better than most large native hardwoods Brilliant yellow to purple fall color, reliable and attractive across most growing conditions Produces heavy seed crops eaten by finches, grosbeaks, and waterfowl through fall and winter Critically threatened by Emerald Ash Borer, making every cultivated tree a conservation contribution Things you probably did not know about the Green Ash It was planted on more miles of American streets than almost any other tree. From the 1950s through the 1990s, Green Ash was one of the primary street tree species planted in cities across the Midwest and eastern United States because of its fast growth, urban tolerance, and adaptability to compacted soils under pavement. The loss of these street trees to Emerald Ash Borer has been economically devastating, with removal costs estimated in the billions of dollars for affected municipalities. The Emerald Ash Borer kills by girdling the tree under the bark. The adult Emerald Ash Borer beetles lay eggs in the bark of ash trees. The larvae that hatch tunnel under the bark and feed on the phloem and cambium tissue, creating S-shaped galleries that disrupt the flow of water and nutrients. By the time symptoms are visible above ground, the tree is typically already dying. A single ash tree can host thousands of larvae simultaneously, all feeding in the layer just beneath the bark. Indigenous peoples used it for snowshoes and tool handles. Green Ash wood is strong, flexible, and shock-resistant in ways that make it ideal for applications requiring both toughness and resilience. Snowshoe frames, canoe paddles, oar blades, and tool handles were made from Green Ash across the eastern and central woodland tribes because no other common native wood combined these properties as effectively in slender cross-sections. The winged seeds are harvested by birds before they reach the ground. Green Ash produces enormous quantities of single-winged seeds called samaras that spin on descent, slowing their fall enough to travel considerable distances in wind. Purple Finches, Pine Siskins, and Evening Grosbeaks harvest these seeds directly from the tree and in the leaf litter beneath, making Green Ash one of the most reliable winter bird feeding trees in areas where it grows. Growing Details Botanical Name: Fraxinus pennsylvanica Stratification: Required, 30 to 90 days cold stratification USDA Zones: 2 to 9 Soil: Extremely adaptable, tolerates wet, dry, alkaline, and compacted soils Light: Full sun Height: 50 to 60 feet Spread: 25 to 45 feet Growth Rate: Fast, 2 to 4 feet per year Plant it knowing what it faces and knowing that the trees being grown in cultivation today may carry the genetics that allow this species to persist into the future.
