Fraxinus anomala, singleleaf ash
Reed, William R. 1993. Fraxinus anomala, singleleaf ash. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/fraano
| Abbreviation | Common Name | Scientific Name | Classification | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plants | ||||
| FRAANO | singleleaf ash | Fraxinus anomala | Life Form: Plants/Shrub, Plants/Tree Kingdom: Plantae Class: Dicot Order: Scrophulariales Family: Oleaceae Genus: Fraxinus | Fed. Protected: No Nativity: Native Invasiveness: Noninvasive |
Taxonomy
The scientific name of singleleaf ash is Fraxinus anomala Torr. ex. Wats [11,13,14,24]. There are 2 varieties [24]:
- Fraxinus anomala Torr. ex S. Watson, singleleaf ash
- Fraxinus anomala Torr. ex S. Watson var. lowellii (Sarg.) Little, Lowell ash
Synonyms
- No entry.
Other Common Names
dwarf ash, Fresno ash, Lowell ash
General Distribution
Singleleaf ash is found predominantly in the southwestern United States. It occurs from southeastern California west to Colorado and south into Texas and northern Mexico [10,14,25].
States and Provinces
- United States: AZ CA CO NV NM TX UT
- Mexico
Site Characteristics
Singleleaf ash growing from a canyon wall, Kane County, Utah. (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Singleleaf ash grows well on a variety of soil types, ranging from gravel to clay loams. It occurs more often on poorly-developed soils with 0.5 to 2.0 percent organic matter content [18]. Sites are typically dry canyons or gulches with full exposure to sunlight and range from 3,000 to 11,000 feet (910-3,300 m) elevation [14]. Singleleaf ash also colonizes talus slopes, dry hillsides, and alluvial deposits [12,16,25].
Common plant associates of singleleaf ash include skunkbush sumac (Rhus trilobata), desert ceanothus (Ceanothus greggii), Arizona rosewood (Vequelinia californica), desert barberry (Mahonia fremontii), chokecherry (Prunus virginianus), and mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus spp.) [7,18].
Plant Communities
No entry.
Botanical Description
Singleleaf ash is a native, deciduous, shrub or small tree ranging from 6.5 to 16.5 feet (2-5 m) tall with a maximum d.b.h of 5 to 7 inches (12.5-17.8 cm) at maturity [10,14,25]. Leaves are simple to compound, and are 1.5 to 2 inches (4-5 cm) long and 1 to 2 inches (3-4 cm) wide. The fruit is an indehiscent samara 0.6 to 1.0 inch (1.5 to 2.5 cm) long and 0.24 to 0.32 inch (6-8 mm) wide. The bark is thin, and divided by shallow fissures into narrow, scaly ridges [10,14,19,25].
In tree form, singleleaf ash typically has a crooked trunk and rounded crown [25].
Raunkiaer Life Form (Raunkiaer 1934)
- Phanerophyte
Seasonal Development
Singleleaf ash flowers from April to May [14]. Flowers usually appear either before or with leaves [12].
Regeneration Processes
Sexual: Singleleaf ash samaras are mature by late summer or fall and are dispersed by wind shortly thereafter. Samaras are dormant, requiring warm, then cold stratification. Germination is epigeal and may occur the spring following dispersal. Samaras, however, can remain viable in leaf litter or humus for several years [3].
Vegetative: Most ash species sprout from the root crown after logging or fire has removed aboveground portions of the plant [1,9,17,21]. It is probable that singleleaf ash responds in such a manner.
Successional Status
Singleleaf ash is shade intolerant [19].
Immediate Fire Effects
Fire likely top-kills singleleaf ash.
Postfire Regeneration Strategy (Stickney 1989)
- Tree with adventitious-bud root crown/soboliferous species root sucker
- Tall shrub, adventitious-bud root crown
- Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
- Initial-offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)
Fire Adaptations
Specific information concerning the effects of fire on singleleaf ash is lacking. It probably sprouts vigorously following fire, as do most Fraxinus species.
Samaras may remain viable in the soil for several years, making them important in the colonization of burned sites. Wind-dispersed samaras may also play an important role in fire ecology.
Plant Response to Fire
Most ash species sprout from the root crown after top-kill by fire or logging [1,9,17,21]. Singleleaf ash likely responds in such a manner.
Fire Regimes
For fire regime information, search FEIS for this species by entering the species name on the Advanced Search page and selecting “Fire Regime” as the publication type.
Fire Management Considerations
No entry.
Federal Status
None
Other Status
None
Importance to Wildlife and Livestock
No entry.
Palatability and Nutritional Value
In Utah, singleleaf ash is rated poor in palatability for cattle and horses and fair for domestic sheep [4].
Singleleaf ash is rated poor in nutritional value for waterfowl, upland game birds, small nongame birds, small mammals, white-tailed deer, and elk. It is rated fair for mule deer [4].
Cover Value
Singleleaf ash is rated good in cover value for mule deer, pronghorn, upland game birds, and small mammals. It is rated poor for elk and waterfowl [4].
Value for Rehabilitation or Restoration of Disturbed Sites
No entry.
Other Uses
Singleleaf ash has potential for use as an ornamental within its natural range [12].
Other Management Considerations
Singleleaf ash seeds may be sown in fall without stratification or sown in the spring after stratification [3].
Table A1— Forest and range ecosystems, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) physiographic regions, Kuchler plant associations, Society for American Foresters (SAF) forest cover types, and Society for Rangeland Management (SRM) rangeland cover types in which this species occurs.
Forest and Range Ecosystems (Garrison et al. 1977)
- FRES29 Sagebrush
- FRES30 Desert shrub
- FRES33 Southwestern shrubsteppe
- FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
- FRES35 Pinyon - juniper
BLM Physiographic Regions (Bernard and Brown 1977)
- 7 Lower Basin and Range
- 12 Colorado Plateau
Kuchler Plant Associations (Kuchler 1964)
- K023 Juniper - pinyon woodland
- K027 Mesquite bosques (Prosopis)
- K031 Oak - juniper woodlands
- K032 Transition between K031 and K037
- K033 Chaparral
- K037 Mountain-mahogany - oak scrub
- K038 Great Basin sagebrush
- K039 Blackbrush
- K040 Saltbush - greasewood
- K041 Creosotebush
- K042 Creosotebush - bursage
- K043 Paloverde - cactus shrub
- K044 Creosotebush - tarbush
- K058 Grama - tobosa shrubsteppe
- K059 Trans-Pecos shrub savanna
- K071 Shinnery
- K085 Mesquite - buffalograss
SAF Cover Types (Eyre 1980)
- 66 Ashe juniper - redberry (Pinchot) juniper
- 68 Mesquite
- 220 Rocky Mountain juniper
- 239 Pinyon - juniper
- 240 Arizona cypress
- 241 Western live oak
- 242 Mesquite
SRM Rangeland Cover Types (Shiflet 1994)
- No entry.
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4. Dittberner, Phillip L.; Olson, Michael R. 1983. The plant information network (PIN) data base: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. FWS/OBS-83/86. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. 786 p. [806]
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13. McCulloch, Clay Y. 1973. Part I: Seasonal diets of mule and white-tailed deer. In: Deer nutrition in Arizona chaparral and desert habitats. Special Report No. 3. Phoenix, AZ: Arizona Game and Fish Department: 1-37. [9894]
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