Plant Library

Other Names:  Red Ash

Description:

A tightly narrow shade tree, ideal for articulation or for small properties; lustrous foliage with superb gold fall color, seedless and low maintenance, rapidly becoming a popular front yard tree for smaller home landscapes

Ornamental Features

Prairie Spire Green Ash is primarily valued in the landscape for its rigidly columnar form. It has forest green deciduous foliage. The compound leaves turn an outstanding gold in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Prairie Spire Green Ash is a dense deciduous tree with a strong central leader and a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This tree will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned in summer after the leaves have fully developed, as it may 'bleed' sap if pruned in late winter or early spring. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects

Prairie Spire Green Ash is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Shade
• Vertical Accent

Planting & Growing

Prairie Spire Green Ash will grow to be about 50 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 25 feet. It has a high canopy with a typical clearance of 6 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. As it matures, the lower branches of this tree can be strategically removed to create a high enough canopy to support unobstructed human traffic underneath. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 70 years or more.

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species.