Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Tree
Origin
South Africa
Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Central United States, Canada
Types
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Blue ash, Single-leaf ash, Fragrant ash
Number of Varieties
745
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
Moist Soils
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-113-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
7-1
Sunset Zone
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
365.76 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
182.88 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
Green, Purple
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Green, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Yellow, Yellow green, Brown, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Prune in fall, Prune in winter, Prune when plant is dormant, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove short twigs
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Wet Site
Wet Site
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
-
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Birds
Allergy
Toxic
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Wildlife, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Antirheumatic, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Fever, Gout, Laxative, Ophthalmic, Purgative, Sore Eyes, Sore throat, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Inner Bark, Leaves, Tree trunks
Other Uses
Used for woodware
Basketary, Used as a dye, Used as fuel, Used for woodware
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Shade Trees, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
BERZELIA lanuginosa
FRAXINUS nigra
Common Name
Buttonbush
Black Ash, Brown Ash, Swamp Ash
In Hindi
Buttonbush shrub
Black Ash plant
In German
Button Strauch
Black Ash Pflanze
In French
buttonbush arbuste
plante Black Ash
In Spanish
arbusto buttonbush
planta de negro de Ceniza
In Greek
Buttonbush θάμνος
φυτό μαύρη τέφρα
In Portuguese
arbusto Buttonbush
planta Black Ash
In Polish
Buttonbush krzew
Black Ash roślin
In Latin
Frutex Buttonbush
Black ash herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Rubiales
Scrophulariales
Family
Bruniaceae
Oleaceae
Genus
Cephalanthus
Fraxinus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Oleeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1218
1
27800
👆🏻