Red ash
- Latin name: Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.
- French name: Frêne rouge
-
Taxonomic Serial Number: 32929
(as F. pennsylvanica Marsh., green ash) - NA3 , C2
Description
Leaves
Form
- Pinnately compound
- 5–9 (usually 7) leaflets
- Leaflets oval, taper-pointed
- Central stalk hairy
- Lower surface densely hairy
Length
- Leaflets 10–15 cm
- Leaf and central stalk 15–20 cm
Colour
- Upper surface yellowish-green
- Lower surface paler
Autumn colour
- Yellowish-brown
Margin
- Toothed above middle
Buds
Form
- Terminal bud present, hairy
- Uppermost pair of lateral buds set close to terminal bud
- Leaf scars semicircular, sometimes with a slight notch in their upper surface
Length
- Terminal bud 3–8 mm
Colour
- Reddish-brown
Twigs
Form
- Moderately stout
- Densely hairy, less so in winter
Colour
- Greyish-brown
Flowers
Form
- Panicles
- Stalks densely hairy
Structure
- Dioecious
Floral timing
- After the leaves appear
Fruits
Form
- Wing enclosing one-half or more of seedcase
- Often notched at the tip
Length
- 3–6 cm
Structure
- Samara
Bark
Form
- Becoming broken into firm, narrow, irregular, slightly raised ridges
- that intersect and form a diamond-shaped pattern
Colour
- Greyish-brown
- Often tinged with red on young branchlets
Size
Height
- To 25 m
Diameter
- To 60 cm
Maximum age
- 100 years
Tree form
Forest-grown
Trunk
- Variable
Habitat
Site
- Bottomlands
- Withstands many weeks of flooding during dormant season
- Confined to river valleys in the Prairie provinces
Light tolerance
- Moderately shade-tolerant
Associated species
- Willow, silver maple, eastern cottonwood
Range
Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia
Other
Currently, only the species Fraxinus pennsylvanica is recognized by taxonomists under the common name green ash. Other classifications recognize varietal forms, including the following:
Photos
Distribution map
