Ash trees for the city

Which ash trees are suitable for the urban climate?

Manna ash, green ash, white ash: three sturdy ash species for the city! Innocuous and resistant. These three ash trees alone show that the development of our urban climate (such as in Berlin) almost compels us to look for trees and shrubs in other countries and climate zones as well as on other continents.

And don't worry: the ash species listed here and the associated varieties are all resistant to ash dieback..

“A tree must be selected for the city according to the location-specific factors there. These three ash trees are very resistant and often make it on to the shortlist."

Thomas Dieckmann, Woody plant specialist, Lorenz von Ehren Nursery

Varieties of ash

The South European flowering ash, also known as manna ash or Fraxinus ornus, is particularly suitable as a street tree, because it not only tolerates road salt, but also has only an indirect negative impact on paved areas. And the drought that often occurs in urban locations constitutes no great cause for alarm for them. So where does the tree come from? From Southern Europe and Western Asia!
The botanical name of the green ashFraxinus pennsylvanicum already suggests its area of origin, since it comes originally from the middle and eastern states of North America. This means that it is not an indigenous tree and, if we look at its properties,

it becomes clear why we prefer Fraxinus pennsylvanicum as a city tree: it not only tolerates road salt and dry soils, but also copes with wet soil. This makes it very suitable as a street and avenue tree.

In the case of Fraxinus americana (white ash) the botanical name betrays the origin – we don’t need to make a guessing game out of it. The white ash originates in eastern North America and tolerates road salt as well as partial paving. This makes it wonderfully suitable as a park and avenue tree as well as a solitaire in cities.

Fraxinus americana

Fraxinus ornus

Fraxinus pennsylvanicum