European Ash
Fraxinus excelsior
- Native to:
- Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, East Aegean Is., France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Krym, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Romania, Russia, Sicilia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Türkiye, Ukraine
No machine-readable author provided. MPF assumed (based on copyright claims).
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Oleaceae
- Genus:
- Fraxinus
- Species:
- Fraxinus excelsior
- USDA Symbol:
- FREX80
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 3500 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may
- Bloom Colors:
- green
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★★☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Ash Borer (Podosesia syringae), Elegant sphinx (Sphinx perelegans), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Manduca brontes, Waved Sphinx (Ceratomia undulosa), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Fall Color:
- yellow
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates moderate drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Prefers fertile soils in its native range
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 60–120 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Seeds exhibit deep dormancy; often require warm stratification followed by cold stratification. Germination can be erratic and may take two seasons.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI