Fraxinus ornus (Flowering Ash)

Noted for its splendid floral display in spring, Fraxinus ornus (Flowering Ash) is a pretty, medium-sized, deciduous tree with a short trunk and a dense oval to almost round, irregular crown. In late spring, fragrant, showy white flower panicles appear above the foliage. They are followed by clusters of winged seeds, 2 in. long (5 cm), that ripen in fall and may persist on the tree throughout winter. The foliage of compound pinnate, mat blue-green leaves contains 5-9 leaflets which sometimes turn rich shades of yellow-burgundy to red-purple in the fall. After dropping to the ground, the attractive smooth, silver bark is revealed, providing winter interest. Flowering Ash is a splendid shade tree or specimen tree for a large landscape. 

• Grows up to 40-50 ft. tall and wide (12-15 m).
• A full sun lover, this plant is easily grown in organically rich, moist, well-drained loams. Some drought tolerance once established. Best performance usually occurs in climates with cool summers.
• Perfect as a specimen plant.
• This beautiful tree is subject to the emerald ash borer, which can kill the tree within 3-5 years after infestation. This borer now constitutes a serious threat to all species of ash in North America.
• Keep an eye our for lilac borer, carpenter worm, oyster shell scale, leaf miners, fall webworms, ash sawflies, and ash leaf curl aphid. Potential disease problems include fungal leaf spots, powdery mildew, rust, anthracnose, cankers, and ash yellows.
• Deer resistant.
• Propagate by seed or grafting
• Native to Southern Europe, Asia Minor.