Flowerinf Ash Seeds (Fraxinus Ornus)

Organic Flowerinf Ash (Fraxinus Ornus)

A round-canopy deciduous tree, this species is native to southern Europe and southwestern Asia. Its smooth, stout gray branches have brown buds; the smooth gray bark protects the wood that is often used to make baseball bats. Sometimes this tree grows with multiple small trunks.

The compound leaves emerge green and fuzzy in spring. They have five to seven oval leaflets with toothed edges. In fall the foliage turns shades of yellow, lavender and purple. The puffy clusters of white flowers emerge after the leaves in late spring and are dioecious, which means that trees are either bear entirely male or female blossoms. Only the female trees produce the copious clusters of winged paddle-shaped fruits, called samaras. They persist when ripe and remain even after the leaves drop in fall, creating a messy, unkempt tree.

Grow flowering ash in full sun and any fertile garden soil. It is best in a moist, deep, humusy soil, but tolerates soggy ground as well as moist nutrient poor soils. It transplants and establishes in the landscape with little effort. Male trees are preferred for urban areas because they do not produce the ugly, persistent clusters of fruits which will be eaten by birds and squirrels. This is a lovely shade and flowering tree for a variety of locations, from lawns and parks to mixed groves or spacious roadway median planters.