Herb: Blue Ash


Latin name: Fraxinus quadrangulata


Family: Oleaceae (Olive Family)



Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
20 m
(66 feet)

Flowering:
April

Habitat of Blue Ash:

Dry or moist rich woods, especially on limestone hills.

Other uses of the herb:

A blue dye is obtained from the inner bark. The bark is ground into a powder and then steeped in water in order to obtain the dye. 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.

Propagation of Blue Ash:

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. It usually germinates in the spring. Stored seed requires a period of cold stratification and is best sown as soon as possible in a cold frame. 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 of the herb:

Dry or moist rich woods, especially on limestone hills.

Medicinal use of Blue Ash:

None known

Known hazards of Fraxinus quadrangulata:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.