Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Closeup view

    Now that we have had frost in the nursery, its time to work on the viable plants which we did not sell this growing season.  We have to consolidate the pots and mulch them in for the winter freeze.  The field grown trees have lost their burlap coating to time and weather.  We have to prune the roots, remove the old nylon twine and burlap, and carefully re-wrap the tree with new burlap.  We then "hog tie" the root ball for the second time.  Well, what's this got to do with Green Ash?

    When folks are shopping for trees it is awfully easy to fall into the groove of "maple, oak, spruce, or dogwood?" as a suggestion.  We don't always remember the less planted trees which offer diversity and added beauty.  While digging and burlaping, I happened into a row of "Patmore" Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica "Patmore".  The small, uniform leaves have a beautiful bronze tinge on the upper branches and the lower limbs still sport a crisp spring like greenery which does not look tired at all.  So many other plants that have gone through a summer drought tend to have leaves that look like a used Nascar racing tire.

    Many ashes cannot tolerate the heat and pollution of the Eastern flatlands of the mid Atlantic region.  The Green Ashes (species pennsylvanica) are capable of growing from Zones 3 through 9.  The cold tolerance is excellent and they can handle our heat.  They seem not to have any significant pests.  Fredericksburg's historic Mall of Washington Avenue (near Kenmore Plantation) sports a huge Green Ash, demonstrating the plants ability.

    The "Patmore" ash sports compound leaves have a nearly smooth edge and approximately 2 to 3" long.  The mature "Patmore" will have an oval shaped crown that is taller than wide, maturing at 60 feeet high by 40 feet wide.   The tree is adaptable to many urban conditions,  making it a fine tree for streets and parks.  "Patmore" is capable of handling wet or dry soil.  In our area, the heavy clay presents real problems regarding the wet side of poor drainage.  Just don't plant it under a power line.

    Since we have a good sized nursery, it is possible that I will have dug something up for next week's column very soon.