“The Algonquin used an infusion of inner bark to treat fatigue and depression…”– Economic and Ethnobotanical Uses
Entire Plant, Fraxinus pennsylvanica (Vidéki, 2009)
Green Ash (also known as Red Ash) has a storied and complicated history. It was first described as Fraxinus pennsylvanica (Marshall, 1785). Since then, there have been various attempts to split F. pennsylvanica into multiple species or varieties. It has been described as F. campestris, F. darlingtonii, and more recently, F. tomentosa or F. profunda (Pumpkin Ash). Varieties such as var. campestris and var. subintegerrima have also been proposed, among others. It has also been briefly moved to variety status under Fraxinus americana (Campbell, 2017). For the purposes of this profile, we refer to all possible varieties and potential species as simply Fraxinus pennsylvanica.
Green Ash has branches and petioles that are most often hairless (glabrous). Velvet Ash (Fraxinus velutina) looks similar but has hair on the branches and petioles. Green Ash’s winter buds are brown, not black – if they are black, you may instead be looking at White Ash (Fraxinus americana). Green Ash’s leaf scars are semicircular or shaped like shields. White Ash’s leaf scars are horseshoe-shaped (Welsh, 2003). European Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) also has horseshoe-shaped leaf scars, but also has black buds (O’Connor, 2012).
The Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) is an invasive insect currently spreading across eastern and central North America.
It is a major pest that feeds exclusively on ash trees and threatens Fraxinus populations throughout North America.
It makes a distinctive D-shaped hole in the trunk when it emerges as an adult (EAB Network).
Native
Introduced
Green ash occurs in prairie woodlands in the eastern United States, and though it is relatively uncommon compared to grassland, it is a very important habitat for over 80 bird species (Rumble, 1998). It can reproduce by seed or by sending up new sprouts and has been observed reproducing clonally in response to drought or wildfire (Lesica, 2001). Green Ash is currently under attack by the Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) (EAB Network).
Overall, Green Ash is listed as apparently secure. It is considered vulnerable in Quebec and Colorado, imperiled in Virginia and Alberta, and critically imperiled in Nova Scotia. It is secure in most of the remainder of the East Coast (NatureServe Explorer 2.0, 2024). However, with the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer, populations are under decline.
