Common Name: Pumpkin Ash

General Information

Fraxinus profunda is a deciduous tree usually growing up to 15 metres tall, occasionally reaching 30 metres[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its high qiality wood, which is traded commercially[].
Fraxinus profunda has experienced range contractions as it has been extirpated from Florida and the Carolinas probably due to habitat destruction. It is suffering the devastating impact of a recently introduced invasive pest, the Emerald Ash Borer, that has rapidly spread across much of its native range and shows no sign of stopping. The borer causes virtually 100% mortality and the plant is unable to regenerate. The plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Eastern N. America - Quebec and Wisconsin to New York, south to Louisiana and Florida

Habitat

Wet to very wet sites where, in years of normal rainfall, surface water stands well into the growing season, swamp margins and river bottoms[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Critically Endangered
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A recently introduced invasive pest, the Emerald Ash Borer has rapidly spread across much of N. America and is devastating the genus Fraxinus. The borer infests and feeds on all the North American ash species it has so far encountered. The nature of the infestation (larval feeding in the phloem) effectively girdles trees as small as 25mm in diameter, which is many years before reproductive maturity, leading to death within five years of infestation. The borer therefore causes virtually 100% mortality of Ash populations. The Ash species are unable to persist for very long through vegetative reproduction, and seeds only remain viable in the soilfor at most 7 - 8 years, so regeneration after borer infestation is minimal or nonexistent. Furthermore, the borer persists in forests in low population densities after major ash population crashes, so the orphaned cohort of ash seedlings that remains is quickly infested as they reach a suitable size[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

Fraxinus species in general are gross feeders with an extensive, fibrous root system, which makes transplanting easy, but means that other species will often not grow well if planted nearby, especially if they are shallow rooted[],

Other Uses

Pumpkin Ash produces high-quality factory lumber and dimension material and is an important source of handle and implement stock[]..

Propagation

Seed -