Culture
Easily grown in average, medium wet, well-drained soils in full sun. Prefers consistently moist, humusy loams, but established trees demonstrate adaptibility to a wide range of soils and growing conditions. Female trees produce abundant seed crops in some years, and may freely self-seed.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Fraxinus pennsylvanica, commonly called green ash, has the largest growing range of any of the native ashes, extending from Nova Scotia to Alberta south to Florida and Texas. This is a lowland species that is commonly found throughout the State of Missouri in low woods, floodplains and along streams, ponds and sloughs (Steyermark). It is a medium sized tree, typically growing 50-70’ tall. Young trees are pyramidal in shape, gradually maturing to a more rounded but usually irregular crown. Green ash is similar in appearance to white ash (see Fraxinus americana), except, inter alia, (a) flowers appear after the foliage emerges, (b) leaflet undersides are green, (c) leaflets are toothed from midleaf to tip and (d) leaflet stalks are winged. Green ash is primarily dioecious (separate male and female trees). Clusters of apetalous purplish male and female flowers appear on separate trees in April-May after the foliage emerges. Fertilized female flowers give way to drooping clusters of winged samaras (to 2” long) that ripen in fall and may persist on the tree throughout winter. Features odd-pinnate compound leaves, each with 5-9 leaflets. Oval to oblong-lanceolate leaflets (3-4” long) are medium green above and below. Foliage turns yellow in fall, with the quality of the fall color often varying considerably from year to year. Gray-brown bark develops distinctive diamond-shaped ridging on mature trees. As with white ash, the wood of green ash is commercially used for a variety of products including tool handles, oars, garden furniture and sports equipment.
Genus name is the classical Latin name for ash trees.
Specific epithet means of Pennsylvania.
'Patmore' is a male cultivar (ergo seedless) that was originally discovered in 1967 as a seedling mutation of unknown parentage growing in a cultivated area along a street in Vegreville, Alberta, Canada. It was subsequently introduced into commerce in 1976. U. S. Plant Patent PP04,684 was issued on April 7, 1981. 'Patmore' is a vigorous, pyramidal tree with a strong central leader, ascending branches and a symmetrical, rounded crown. 'Patmore' is very similar in appearance to F. pennsylvanica 'Marshall' (also known as 'Marshall's Seedless').
Problems
Emerald ash borer is native to Asia. It was first discovered in the U.S. (southeastern Michigan) in 2002. It has now spread to a number of additional states in the northeast and upper Midwest, and is expected to continue spreading. Emerald ash borer will typically kill an ash tree within 3-5 years after infestation. Once infestation occurs, it is very difficult to eradicate this pest which feeds under the bark and bores into wood. This borer now constitutes a serious threat to all species of ash in North America. Green ash trees are generally susceptible to a number of additional insect problems including ash borer, lilac borer, carpenter worm, oyster shell scale, leaf miners, fall webworms, ash sawflies and ash leaf curl aphid. Potential disease problems include fungal leaf spots, powdery mildew, rust, anthracnose, cankers and ash yellows. General ash decline is also a concern. Brittle branches are susceptible to damage from high winds and snow/ice.
Uses
Planting new green ash trees is no longer recommended given the susceptibility of this tree to the emerald ash borer. Ash trees have typically been used over time in a variety of applications including shade tree, street tree or lawn tree.