7 Common Ash Trees In Utah (Photos & Identification)
When you think of the olive family, the only tree that comes to mind is olive, right? But did you know that ash trees are members of the olive family? The olive family consists of about 30 groups and over 400 different plant species, with ash, being just one of them.
The genus Ash contains approximately 70 different species, the majority of which grow in the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 16 species native to North America, and two of them are native to Utah.
In this article, we’ll look at two native and five non-native common ash trees in Utah. We’ll look at their unique characteristics, native habitat, and why they’re such a lovely addition to our state’s landscapes.
Let’s begin.
1. White Ash
- Common Name: White Ash
- Scientific Name: Fraxinus americana
- Mature Height: Up to 80 feet
- Native/Non-Native: Native to the Eastern United States
- Flowers/Cones: Inconspicuous flowers that appear in the spring before the leaves, followed by paddle-shaped fruit clusters that cling to twigs into the winter.
- Uses: Ornamental, constructions, and furnishings.
White ash trees are the most commonly found ash trees in Utah. It is a huge tree endemic to the eastern United States and can grow up to 80 feet tall and is recognized for its beautiful yellow-purple fall foliage.
White Ash leaves are opposite and once pinnately complex, with 5 to 9 elliptical to oblong-lanceolate leaflets that are dark green on top and paler beneath, turning purple to yellow-purple in the fall.
White Ash twigs are sturdy, dark green to gray-green, occasionally purplish, and glabrous or hairless. The scar on the leaf is U-shaped, with a deep to shallow notch across the upper edge. Terminal buds are reddish brown and blunt, with 4-6 brown scales covering them, whilst lateral buds are smaller and nearly triangular.
White Ash flowers are small and inconspicuous, clustered in conical clusters, and bloom before the leaves in the spring. The fruit is a samara that grows in dense clusters and is paddle-shaped. It often clings to branches throughout the winter.
The bark is comparable to that of green ash, although it is more deeply furrowed.
White Ash is a very attractive tree for landscape use since it adds richness to our landscapes. It is also known as ‘Autumn Purple’ ash, after one of its varieties. Although some believe it is less prone to borers than green ash, this has not been verified.
However, it is still a valuable tree that is used in construction and furnishings.
2. Singleleaf Ash
- Common Name: Singleleaf Ash, Dwarf Ash
- Scientific Name: Fraxinus anomala
- Mature Height: A large shrub to a small tree
- Native/Non-Native: Native to the canyons of southern Utah
- Flowers/Cones: Small and inconspicuous flowers in small, conical bunches.
- Uses: Not much of a commercial and ornamental value.
The Singleleaf Ash, sometimes known as the Dwarf Ash, is a fascinating plant endemic to southern Utah canyons and found throughout the southwestern United States. This plant grows from a huge shrub to a small tree and can reach a specific height.
Its opposing leaves are simple and 1 to 2 inches long, or pinnately compound with 2-5 smaller leaflets. The leaves or leaflets are oval or nearly spherical, glabrous above and dark green, pale below, and might have an entire or very fine-toothed border.
When young, the twigs of the Singleleaf Ash are quite sturdy, 4-winged or ridged, and orange. Meanwhile, the plant’s terminal buds are broad-ovoid and orange-hairy.
Flowers occur in little, conical bunches as the leaves emerge, they are modest and inconspicuous. It produces samaras, which are paddle-shaped in small clusters and often cling to twigs into or throughout the winter. The bark of the Singleleaf Ash is thin and dark to red-brown, with scaly ridges.
This plant is commonly found along streams or other areas where moisture collects. It can withstand drought, heat, and high soil pH. It is, however, not very shade tolerant.
While Singleleaf Ash is not often employed in cultivated settings, it may have some value in warmer areas of Utah where native plants and minimal water consumption are crucial. Growing out of soil-collecting depressions on red sandstone hillsides near St. George, this plant has been spotted.
Singleleaf Ash grows in zones 6-9 (and possibly 10).
3. Green Ash
- Common Name: Green Ash
- Scientific Name: Fraxinus pennsylvanica
- Mature Height: Up to 60 feet tall
- Native/Non-Native: Native to parts of North America
- Flowers/Cones: Small and inconspicuous flowers
- Uses: Windbreakers
Green Ash is a huge deciduous tree that can reach heights of 60 feet. Its leaves are opposite and once pinnately complex, with 7-9 oblong-lanceolate to elliptic leaflets that turn bright yellow in the fall.
The twigs are fairly thick, gray to brown, and contain half-circular or shallowly notched leaf scars.
Small, inconspicuous flowers clustered in clusters develop in April, along with the leaves. The fruit is a paddle-shaped samara that is 1-2.5 inches long and often clings to branches throughout the winter.
Green Ash is native to North America and favors damp areas, but it is drought-resistant and can survive high soil pH. Its wood is valuable and is used for handles, tools, containers, furniture, timber, and other purposes.
It has been widely used in Utah’s landscapes and as windbreaks ever since the state’s pioneer days. However, lilac borers pose a significant threat to trees, especially those that are already under stress. There are seedless varieties, but even those can produce a lot of seeds in harsh environments.
4. Velvet Ash
- Common Name: Velvet Ash
- Scientific Name: Fraxinus velutina
- Mature Height: 30 to 40 feet
- Native/Non-Native: Native to the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico.
- Flowers/Fruit: Inconspicuous flowers in small, hairy bunches
- Uses: Makes a great plant for low water use and native plant-focused landscapes.
The Velvet Ash, also known as Fraxinus velutina or Modesto Ash, is a medium-sized tree that can reach a height of 40 feet.
The tree has 3-9 leaflets, usually 5, that are thick and narrow elliptic to lanceolate in shape. The leaflets can grow to be up to 2 inches long, with a sharply serrated border above the middle. When young, the twigs are thin and rounded, and hairy-velvety, with a tiny ovoid terminal bud about 1/8″ long.
The Velvet Ash blooms in the spring with little, inconspicuous flowers in small, hairy clusters. The tree’s fruit is a samara, which is paddle-shaped and about 3/4″ long.
The bark of the tree is gray with some red, thin, and wrinkled. The Velvet Ash’s wood is ring-porous, hefty, and hard, although it is unimportant.
The Velvet Ash is a native tree of extreme southern Utah and is widespread throughout the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, mostly in valleys along intermittent streams. The tree tolerates dryness, heat, and high soil pH, but not shade.
While the Velvet Ash cultivar ‘Modesto Ash’ is more widely available, it is not typically employed in cultivated landscapes. It can, however, flourish in zones 6-10 and makes a fascinating and useful plant in a low-water use and native plant-focused garden.
5. Blue Ash
- Common Name: Blue Ash
- Scientific Name: Fraxinus quadrangulata
- Mature Height: 50-70 feet (15-21 meters)
- Native/Non-Native: Native
- Flowers: none, produces green-winged seeds
- Uses: lumber, shade tree, dye-making
One of the commonly found medium-sized ash trees in Utah, the blue ash tree has a single straight trunk with a spreading uneven crown and can grow up to 70 feet tall. It is known for its compound leaves, which are 8-12 inches long and made up of 5-11 stalkless leaflets. These toothed leaflets have a pale green color on the top surface and contain tufts of hair along the midrib on the bottom.
The blue ash tree is highly adaptable and can thrive in various environments, including both moist and dry soils, limestone outcroppings, and areas with ample sunlight.
As the blue ash tree ages, its bark changes from light brown to a scaly, fractured, loose, and shaggy texture. Throughout the winter, the tree retains green-winged seeds that grow to be 1-2 inches long and turn brown.
Interestingly, the sap of the blue ash tree turns blue when exposed to air, giving the tree its popular name. This blue dye, derived from shattered inner bark mixed with water, was traditionally used for coloring textiles.
This exceptional drought-resistant quality makes it a preferred choice for landscaping in parks, yards, and along streets. Additionally, the blue ash tree serves multiple purposes, providing lumber and shade, and playing a vital role in Utah’s ecosystem.
6. European Ash
- Common Name: European Ash
- Scientific Name: Fraxinus excelsior
- Mature Height: Medium to Large Tree
- Native: Native to Europe and Asia Minor
- Flowers/Cones: Small and inconspicuous flowers
- Uses: The wood is versatile and used in furniture, sports equipment, and flooring.
The European Ash, or Fraxinus excelsior, is a medium to large deciduous tree endemic to Europe and Asia Minor.
The leaves are opposite and formerly pinnately complex, with 7 to 11 leaflets. They are dark green on top and light green on the bottom, with serrated borders. The leaves change from yellow to green in the fall. Twigs are gray to gray-brown in color, sturdy, and circular in cross-section, with black, pubescent buds covered in 4-6 scales.
The blooms of the European Ash are small and inconspicuous, appearing in clusters in the spring. The fruit is fashioned like a samara paddle and grows in dense clusters. The bark is deeply ridged and resembles green ash. Wood is a versatile material that is utilized in furniture, sporting equipment, and flooring.
The European Ash is endemic to much of Europe and Asia Minor, and it thrives in high pH soils. It tolerates moderate shade and is occasionally planted in Utah, but it does not perform as well as green or white ash. The tree appears to be particularly prone to borers and is not as cold-hardy as many of its cousins. The European Ash grows in zones 5-8.
It produces good wood that may be used for a variety of purposes, and it grows well in high-pH soils. While it may not be as popular in Utah as other ash species due to borer susceptibility and limited winter tolerance, it is nevertheless an important species in its native range.
7. Mountain Ash
- Common Name: European Mountain-ash or Rowan
- Scientific Name: Sorbus aucuparia
- Mature Height: 15-40 feet
- Native: Native to Europe, western Asia, and Siberia.
- Flowers/Cones: White flowers in large bunches
- Uses: Ornamental tree for its beautiful leaves and attractive fruit
Despite being counted among ash trees in Utah, ]the European Mountain-ash, is not a true ash tree. It is a deciduous tree native to Europe, Western Asia, and Siberia, and is prized for its stunning foliage and colorful fruit. It can reach a height of 15-40 feet, has alternate leaves with 9-15 leaflets, is dark green and glabrous on top, and turns yellow, red, or purple in the fall. The bark is thin, gray-brown, smooth or slightly scaly, and smooth or slightly scaly.
Twigs are first robust, brown, and hairy before turning glabrous gray-brown. Buds are 1/4″ to 3/4″ long, red-brown in color, and extremely hairy but not sticky. The flowers are white, about a third of an inch in diameter, and grow in huge, flat-topped clusters. The fruit is a spherical, brilliant orange-red, berry-like pome about 1/4″ to 1/2″ in diameter, with a harsh taste that birds enjoy.
The European Mountain-ash enjoys cold, damp environments but does not tolerate shade. It is commonly planted in Utah and other locations due to its large size, beautiful fall color, and appealing fruit.
However, as they age, old trees become more susceptible to pests such as fireblight and borers, and their appearance deteriorates. This tree’s wood is unimportant, with the sapwood being light-colored and thick and the heartwood being light brown, light, weak, and soft. European Mountain ash is a hardy plant that grows in zones 3–7.
Along with European mountain ash, other mountain ash trees in Utah include American mountain ash (Sorbus americana), Greene mountain ash (Sorbus scopulina), and Korean mountain ash (Sorbus alnifolia).
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Common Ash Trees in Utah – Sources
The Regional Gardening team makes sure that the information in our articles is accurate by only using sources that are known to be trustworthy. Some of these sources are peer-reviewed journals from government agencies, well-known universities, and scientific research organizations.
- Trees & Shrubs In Yard And Garden, Utah State University Extension
- Native & Non-Native Tree Identification, Utah State University Forestry Extension.
- Native Plants, Utah Native Plant Society.
- A Guide To The Trees Of Utah & Intermountain West, Book By Michael Kuhns, Utah State University Press.
