Taxon: Fraxinus americana L.

Summary

Genus:

Fraxinus

Section:

Melioides

Family:

Oleaceae

Tribe:

Oleeae

Nomen number:

316687

Place of publication:

Sp. pl. 2:1057. 1753

Typification:

View in Linnean Typification Project

Verified:

03/23/2010 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

1232 (1230 active, 65 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Autonym(s)
Fraxinus americana L. var. americana

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Fraxinus americana L. var. biltmoreana (Beadle) J. Wright ex Fernald

Images (3 total. Click on image for more.)

Links

Forestry Images – from www.forestryimages.org

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Clark, R. C. 1971. The woody plants of Alabama. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 58:228.
Erhardt, W. et al. 2000. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 16. Auflage
Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, ed. 2
Hardin, J. W. 1974. Studies of the southeastern United States flora: 4. Oleaceae. Sida 5:276.
Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12
Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Jones, G. N. & G. D. Fuller. 1955. Vascular plants of Illinois.
Kartesz, J. T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland.
Krüssmann, G. 1984. Manual of cultivated broad-leaved trees and shrubs (English translation of Handbuch der Laubgehölze. 1976)
Little, E. L., Jr. 1978. Important forest trees of the United States
Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
Magee, D. W. & H. E. Ahles. 1999. Flora of the Northeast. A manual of the vascular flora of New England and adjacent New York.
McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Meyer, F. G. et al. 1994. A catalog of cultivated woody plants of the southeastern United States
Miller, G. N. 1955. The genus Fraxinus, the ashes, in North America, north of Mexico. Mem. Cornell Univ. Agric. Exp. Sta. 335:30-36.
Wallander, E. 2008. Systematics of Fraxinus (Oleaceae) and evolution of dioecy. Pl. Syst. Evol. 273:28.
Wetter, M. A. et al. WISFLORA: Wisconsin vascular plant species (on-line resource).
Whittemore, A. T. et al. 2018. Ploidy variation in Fraxinus L. (Oleaceae) of eastern North America: genome size diversity and taxonomy in a suddenly endangered genus. Int. J. Pl. Sci. 179:377-389. DOI: 10.1086/696688. Note: diploid (also tetraploid, pentaploid)
Wofford, B. E. Database of Tennessee vascular plants (on-line resource).
2018. Oklahoma vascular plant database

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	American ash	1	Little, E. L., Jr. 1978. Important forest trees of the United States
English	white ash	1	Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Afrikaans	Amerikaanse esseboom	2	Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12
German	Weiß-Esche	2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2000. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 16. Auflage
Swedish	vitask	2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	New Brunswick		Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Nova Scotia		Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Ontario	s.	Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Prince Edward Island		Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Québec	s.	Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Illinois		Jones, G. N. & G. D. Fuller. 1955. Vascular plants of Illinois.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Iowa		Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Kansas	e.	McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Minnesota		Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Missouri		Hardin, J. W. 1974. Studies of the southeastern United States flora: 4. Oleaceae. Sida 5:276.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Nebraska	e.	McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Oklahoma		McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Wisconsin		Wetter, M. A. et al. WISFLORA: Wisconsin vascular plant species (on-line resource).
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Connecticut		Magee, D. W. & H. E. Ahles. 1999. Flora of the Northeast. A manual of the vascular flora of New England and adjacent New York.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Indiana		Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maine		Magee, D. W. & H. E. Ahles. 1999. Flora of the Northeast. A manual of the vascular flora of New England and adjacent New York.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Massachusetts		Magee, D. W. & H. E. Ahles. 1999. Flora of the Northeast. A manual of the vascular flora of New England and adjacent New York.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Michigan		Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Hampshire		Magee, D. W. & H. E. Ahles. 1999. Flora of the Northeast. A manual of the vascular flora of New England and adjacent New York.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Jersey		Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New York		Magee, D. W. & H. E. Ahles. 1999. Flora of the Northeast. A manual of the vascular flora of New England and adjacent New York.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Ohio		Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Pennsylvania		Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Rhode Island		Magee, D. W. & H. E. Ahles. 1999. Flora of the Northeast. A manual of the vascular flora of New England and adjacent New York.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Vermont		Magee, D. W. & H. E. Ahles. 1999. Flora of the Northeast. A manual of the vascular flora of New England and adjacent New York.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	West Virginia		Hardin, J. W. 1974. Studies of the southeastern United States flora: 4. Oleaceae. Sida 5:276.
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas	e.	Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Alabama		Hardin, J. W. 1974. Studies of the southeastern United States flora: 4. Oleaceae. Sida 5:276.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Arkansas		Hardin, J. W. 1974. Studies of the southeastern United States flora: 4. Oleaceae. Sida 5:276.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Delaware		Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida	n.	Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Georgia		Hardin, J. W. 1974. Studies of the southeastern United States flora: 4. Oleaceae. Sida 5:276.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Kentucky		Hardin, J. W. 1974. Studies of the southeastern United States flora: 4. Oleaceae. Sida 5:276.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maryland		Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Mississippi		Hardin, J. W. 1974. Studies of the southeastern United States flora: 4. Oleaceae. Sida 5:276.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	North Carolina		Hardin, J. W. 1974. Studies of the southeastern United States flora: 4. Oleaceae. Sida 5:276.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	South Carolina		Hardin, J. W. 1974. Studies of the southeastern United States flora: 4. Oleaceae. Sida 5:276.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Tennessee		Hardin, J. W. 1974. Studies of the southeastern United States flora: 4. Oleaceae. Sida 5:276.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Virginia		Hardin, J. W. 1974. Studies of the southeastern United States flora: 4. Oleaceae. Sida 5:276.
2	Cultivated					also cult.

Native
Northern America

EASTERN CANADA: Canada [New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario (s.), Prince Edward Island, Québec (s.)]
NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia]
NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Illinois, Iowa, Kansas (e.), Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska (e.), Oklahoma, Wisconsin]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida (n.), Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Texas (e.)]

Cultivated (also cult.)

Reference(s)

Hardin, J. W. 1974. Studies of the southeastern United States flora: 4. Oleaceae. Sida 5:276.
Jones, G. N. & G. D. Fuller. 1955. Vascular plants of Illinois.
Little, E. L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541
Magee, D. W. & H. E. Ahles. 1999. Flora of the Northeast. A manual of the vascular flora of New England and adjacent New York.
McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
Wetter, M. A. et al. WISFLORA: Wisconsin vascular plant species (on-line resource).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Environmental	ornamental		Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Environmental	shade/shelter		Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Materials	wood	timber	Little, E. L., Jr. 1978. Important forest trees of the United States
Medicines	folklore		McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=316687. Accessed 14 April 2026.