Fraxinus mandschurica Seeds | Manchurian Ash
LATIN NAME: Fraxinus mandschurica
COMMON NAME: Manchurian Ash
Plant Profile
Fraxinus mandschurica, better known as Manchurian Ash, is a tall, upright tree in the olive family. The Manchurian ash keys tall, upright tree with large, pinnate leaves of seven to eleven pointed leaflets and small, greenish flowers that open in early spring, paired, winged keys following and hanging in loose clusters through the summer. Leaves turn soft gold in autumn, and tree grows into stately, straight form. It stands cold well, and it likes sun, and deep, moist, well-drained soil. Its open flowers are a reliable stop for bees and other pollinating visitors. Each of these traits is modest on its own; together they make a garden-worthy plant.
Science & Biotechnology
Fraxinus mandschurica sits in the olive family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. In olive family, ashes have a long, tough record in studies of the northern timber trees, and the mandschurica species appears in the research on the cold-winter tolerance and the wood strength. Centuries of cultivation have left a detailed record of how it grows and behaves.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Manchurian Ash for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. In cold garden and the woodland, the Manchurian ash keys branches with winged seeds. Tough wood serves tool handles, skis and fine wares for generations, keys feed birds, and pinnate leaves turn soft gold in the autumn. It stands cold well and grows in deep, moist, well-drained, sunny ground. It establishes readily and then requires nothing out of the ordinary.
Ash bark is a classical Chinese herb, Qin Pi, for intestinal heat, and its coumarins fraxin and esculetin are studied for anti-inflammatory activity; the trees also gave baseball its bats and folklore its world tree.
Growing from Seed
Manchurian Ash grows readily from seed. Scatter the seed evenly over a loose seed compost, cover to no more than its own depth, and keep the pot moist and bright. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
Among the Fraxinus group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. It tolerates the sort of small mistakes every beginner makes.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Manchurian Ash often pair it with these related subjects: