Fraxinus latifolia / Oregon Ash

The Oregon Ash is easily recognized by its thin, gray-brown bark, which develops a woven pattern of deep fissures and ridges as it matures. Its pinnately compound leaves, with 5-9 ovate leaflets, turn bright yellow in the fall, adding a splash of color to the landscape. It has a broad, round crown and is very long-lived, often exceeding 200 years. Ideal for ecological restoration projects, the Oregon Ash thrives in wet habitats such as sloughs, swales, wet meadows, swamps, streams, and bottomlands, improving soil fertility and providing habitat for wildlife. It is useful in the landscape as a shade or specimen tree, tolerating wet soil in winter and becoming very drought-tolerant once established.