Fraxinus nigra
| Fraxinus nigra | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Cross Pollinated | |
| Height: | 82' |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Fraxinus nigra (common name: black ash)
Propagation: The seed is best harvested green - as soon as it is fully developed but before it has fully dried on the tree - and can then be sown immediately in a cold frame[1]. It usually germinates in the spring[1]. Stored seed requires a period of cold stratification and is best sown as soon as possible in a cold frame[2]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions or a nursery bed in late spring or early summer of the following year.
If you have sufficient seed then it is possible to sow it directly into an outdoor seedbed, preferably in the autumn. Grow the seedlings on in the seedbed for 2 years before transplanting either to their permanent positions or to nursery beds.
Cultivation: Prefers a deep loamy soil, even if it is on the heavy side[3][2]. Most members of this genus are gross feeders and require a rich soil[4][2]. A plant of swamps in the wild, in Britain this species requires a moist to wet soil[2]. It succeeds when growing in exposed positions[2] and also in alkaline soils[4]. Plants are tolerant of atmospheric pollution[2].
A moderate to slow-growing tree in the wild[5], it is not a great success in Britain, where it is often damaged by late frosts[4].
This species is closely related to F. mandschurica[2].
Trees can bear hermaphrodite flowers, separate male and female flowers, or flowers of one sex only[5].
Range: North-eastern N. America - Newfoundland to Manitoba, south to Virginia and Iowa.
Habitat: Deep cold swamps, river banks and shores, tolerating some standing water[6][7][5].
Medicinal: The leaves are diaphoretic, diuretic, laxative[8]. They should be gathered in June, well dried and stored in airtight containers[8].
The inner bark has been used as a tonic for the liver and stomach, to check vaginal discharge and to treat painful urination[9]. An infusion of the inner bark has been used as an eye wash for sore eyes[9].
Usage: Logs of wood can be beaten with mauls to separate the growth layers, these layers can then be cut into strips and woven into baskets[9].
A blue dye can be obtained from the bark[9].
Wood - not strong, rather soft, durable, heavy, tough, coarse-grained, easily separated into thin layers. It weighs 39lb per cubic foot. Largely used for making furniture, cabinet making, interior finish and veneer[10][11][7][12][5][13]. The wood makes a good fuel, it does not crackle or shoot sparks like many other woods[9]. If the wood is soaked in water and then pounded, it separates easily into thin sheets[14]. These sheets have then been used to make woven baskets, barrel hoops, chair seats etc[14].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Pollution: Tolerates environmental pollution.
Flower Type: Dioecious
Also Known As: F. sambucifolia.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 McMillan-Browse, Philip. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books, 1985.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Sargent, Charles. Manual of the Trees of North America. Dover, 1965.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ Britton, Nathaniel and Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1970.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lauriault, Jean. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada. Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1989.