Fraxinus pennsylvanica Seeds | Green Ash
LATIN NAME: Fraxinus pennsylvanica
COMMON NAME: Green Ash
Plant Profile
Fraxinus pennsylvanica, better known as Green Ash, is a tall, upright, deciduous tree in the olive family. Trunk rises straight and crown opens into broad, rounded form. It stands cold, wet ground and city air well, and it likes sun, and deep, moist soil. Gardeners value it precisely for this blend of qualities.
Science & Biotechnology
As part of the olive family, Fraxinus pennsylvanica contributes to research on plant classification and adaptation, while nurseries and gardeners continue to trial it for cultivation. Winged samaras of green ash give it a long place in research on adaptable street trees of olive family, and pennsylvanica species appears in studies of wet-ground growth and wind dispersal. Breeders and collectors still work with it, so well-kept seed remains available.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Green Ash for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. In park, avenue and wet garden, green ash keys autumn branches with winged fruits. Straight trunk gives broad, cool shade, timber has served tool handles, furniture and sports equipment for generations, and keys feed birds and small animals. It lines streets and riverbanks and thrives in deep, moist, sunny ground. Mature plants need little attention in a well-chosen position.
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
Green Ash is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Use a fine, free-draining seed compost, scatter the seed evenly, cover it lightly and hold it just moist in good light. A cool, moist period before sowing helps the seeds wake evenly — a few weeks in damp medium in the refrigerator is the usual approach. Shift the seedlings into small pots as soon as they can be handled, and give them bright light until planting-out time.
Our Take
The traditional uses covered above are what first made this species worth cultivating. It grows as a tall, upright, deciduous tree, so its place in the garden is easy to plan. Its wants are few — a sunny spot, soil that drains, and time to settle in.
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