Page 45 - A Field Guide to Fairfax County's Plants and Wildlife
P. 45
(Fraxinus americana)
Description The best baseball bats have
historically been made from
Ash trees grow up to 12 to ash wood.
18 meters in height and 0.5
meters in diameter. The An invasive beetle from Asia, the
leaves are compound with Emerald Ash Borer (Page 149), is
seven to nine leaflets and threatening the Ash tree. Those
grow opposite of each other purple boxes you might see hanging
on branches. Male and in trees are part of an effort to
female flowers usually grow track and stop the spread of this
on separate trees. The fruits infestation.
are 2.5 to 5 centimeters long,
winged and flattened with a
round seed cavity.
Distribution and
Habitat
Ash trees are found
throughout Virginia in all five
physiographic provinces.
They prefer rich, moist, well-drained
soils on moist river bottoms and
stream banks.
Role in Food Web
A variety of wildlife rely on the Ash
for food: birds and mammals eat the
seeds; White-tailed Deer browse the
foliage; and beavers and Eastern
Cottontail Rabbits eat the bark.
Did you notice...
The right side of the tree illustrations
show the fall colors of the leaves and
what the bare branches would look
like during the winter.
r 41 r
Description The best baseball bats have
historically been made from
Ash trees grow up to 12 to ash wood.
18 meters in height and 0.5
meters in diameter. The An invasive beetle from Asia, the
leaves are compound with Emerald Ash Borer (Page 149), is
seven to nine leaflets and threatening the Ash tree. Those
grow opposite of each other purple boxes you might see hanging
on branches. Male and in trees are part of an effort to
female flowers usually grow track and stop the spread of this
on separate trees. The fruits infestation.
are 2.5 to 5 centimeters long,
winged and flattened with a
round seed cavity.
Distribution and
Habitat
Ash trees are found
throughout Virginia in all five
physiographic provinces.
They prefer rich, moist, well-drained
soils on moist river bottoms and
stream banks.
Role in Food Web
A variety of wildlife rely on the Ash
for food: birds and mammals eat the
seeds; White-tailed Deer browse the
foliage; and beavers and Eastern
Cottontail Rabbits eat the bark.
Did you notice...
The right side of the tree illustrations
show the fall colors of the leaves and
what the bare branches would look
like during the winter.
r 41 r
