Gardening Plant Encyclopedia Tree Ash By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on February 1, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email Ash Overview Description The magnificent shade tree that has it all: tolerance for difficult soils and conditions; spectacular purple, red, orange, or gold fall color; and a stately silhouette. Shapes range from broad-domed to narrow teardrop, but most ash varieties will require a large, open space to become the crowning glory of your landscape. Ashes are good choices for dry or alkaline soils. Genus Name Fraxinus Common Name Ash Plant Type Tree Light Sun Height 20 to 20 feet Width 30 to 50 feet Season Features Colorful Fall Foliage Special Features Attracts Birds Zones 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Propagation Grafting, Seed, Stem Cuttings Problem Solvers Drought Tolerant, Good For Privacy, Slope/Erosion Control More varieties for Ash Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica is a big, vigorous tree with rich, green foliage that turns bright yellow in autumn. It's native to areas of North America and grows 50 feet tall and 40 feet wide. Zones 4-9 White ash Fraxinus americana is a tall (80 feet tall and 50 feet wide), fast-growing tree featuring large, dark green leaves that turn gold or purple in fall. Native to areas of North America. Zones 5-9 fall tree care tips and tricks More Videos » Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit