Fraxinus quadrangulata
| Fraxinus quadrangulata | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 66' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Fraxinus quadrangulata (common name: blue 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]. Plants succeed when growing in exposed positions[2] and also in alkaline soils[4]. They tolerate atmospheric pollution[2].
A fast-growing tree in the wild, where it lives 125 - 150 years[5].
Most species in this genus are dioecious but this species is said to be hermaphrodite[6][5].
Range: Central N. America - Ontario to Alabama and Kansas.
Habitat: Dry or moist rich woods[7], especially on limestone hills[6].
Usage: A blue dye is obtained from the inner bark[7][8][6]. The bark is ground into a powder and then steeped in water in order to obtain the dye[9].
Wood - hard, heavy, close-grained, durable, but not strong and is somewhat brittle. It weighs 47lb per cubic foot. The wood is largely used for flooring, the interior finishes of houses, construction etc[8][10][6][11][5][12].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Pollution: Tolerates environmental pollution.
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
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 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 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Sargent, Charles. Manual of the Trees of North America. Dover, 1965.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Lauriault, Jean. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada. Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1989.
- ↑ 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.