← Bedfellow

Green Ash

Fraxinus pennsylvanica

Green ash is a fast, adaptable native ash once planted everywhere for quick shade, with golden fall color and abundant wildlife seed. The emerald ash borer has hit it hard, so weigh that risk against its toughness. The inner bark (cambium) has been eaten cooked or dried into flour, said to taste like eggs — a minor, historical food use.

Family

Oleaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

50–70 ft

Spacing

35–50 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade, shade

Soil moisture

dry, moist, wet

Soil pH

acidic, neutral, alkaline

Bloom

April, May, June

Bloom colors

green, purple, brown

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~149 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen, rain garden

Native states

AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY