Carried by 7 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
California ash (Fraxinus dipetala) is a beautiful flowering tree or shrub native to the California Coast Ranges and Sierra foothills, growing at elevations of 300 to 4,300 feet. It has light to dark green serrated leaves and produces sweetly scented white flowers in fluffy clusters. The fruit is a long, winged seed (samara) that hangs in bunches.
This drought-adapted tree thrives in various soils, including heavy clay, and benefits from occasional summer water. It also supports wildlife, serving as a host plant for the pale tiger swallowtail butterfly, whose larvae overwinter in rolled-up leaves. With pruning, it can be shaped into a lovely multi-trunked specimen tree.
Tree
23 ft Tall
15 ft Wide
Winter Deciduous
Pleasant
Yellow, White
Spring
Bank stabilization
Full Sun, Partial Shade
Low
Max 2x / month once established
Moderate
Tolerates cold to 15° F
Fast, Medium, Slow
Tolerates a variety of soils including clay and decomposed granite.
Tolerates serpentine soil..
Soil PH: 5.9 - 8.2
For propagating by seed: 3 months stratification.
7*, 8*, 9*, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24
Slopes
Chaparral, Foothill Woodland
Use with other woodland shrubs such as Manzanita (Arctostaphylos manzanita or A. viscida), Spice Bush (Calycanthus occidentalis), Ceanothus spp., Redbud (Cercis occidentalis), Oaks (Quercus spp.), and Currant/Gooseberry (Ribes spp.)
Butterflies and moths supported
0 confirmed and 35 likely
Yellow-Haired Dagger Moth
Acronicta impleta
Fall Cankerworm Moth
Alsophila pometaria
Miranda Underwing
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Common Gray
Anavitrinella pampinaria