Do you ever have the experience where you ignore something that is right in front of your face, and then one day, for some inexplicable reason, you are made aware of it in a new way and you fall madly in love? It could be pineapple pizza, or a co-worker, or , in my case, a tree.
Last week I saw Fragrant Ash (Fraxinus cuspidata) at Chris and Tammi Hartung’s farm, and now it’s all I can think about. I’d read about this tree before. It’s a Southwestern native, and very drought tolerant. I think I’d mentally skipped over it because of concerns about winter hardiness, but after seeing the beautiful specimen at Desert Canyon Farm, I’m sure it’s hardy to at least minus 20 F.
Their tree is over 10′ tall and has a single trunk four feet tall before any branching begins. I don’t know if Chris pruned it that way since it is often described as “shrubby.” The shape of the canopy is a pleasing oval. It is covered with sweetly fragrant flowers in May. I think part of my infatuation with it is that it seems like the perfect tree for a xeriscape garden, and yet it seems relatively unavailable in the trade. Chris has promised me seed next summer, and meanwhile I’m searching for young bareroot liners. Bob Nold, in High and Dry, said that the seed is difficult to germinate, and that likely explains its absence in nurseries. Here’s a link to a nice photo of one.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/fraxinuscuspidata.htm
