Fraxinus velutina 'Fan Tex'

Fan Tex Ash

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What is Fan-Tex Ash?

Fan-Tex Ash (Fraxinus velutina 'Fan-Tex') is a superior selection of Arizona Ash, also known as Velvet Ash or Rio Grande Ash. This medium to large shade tree originates from the southwestern United States, particularly Texas and New Mexico. Landscape designers choose Fan-Tex Ash for its proven drought tolerance, heat resistance, and reliable golden fall color in desert and urban environments.

How Big Does Fan-Tex Ash Get?

Fan-Tex Ash reaches mature heights of 25-40 feet with a similar spread, creating a rounded, symmetrical canopy perfect for shade coverage. This moderate to fast-growing tree develops a compact form compared to other ash species, making it ideal for residential lots, commercial properties, and streetscape projects where space is limited. Expect 2-3 feet of growth per year under optimal conditions.

What Does Fan-Tex Ash Look Like Through the Seasons?

Spring brings small creamy white flower clusters that transition into winged seeds (samaras) by summer. The real showstopper happens in fall when glossy dark green leaves transform into brilliant shades of gold, amber, yellow, and orange. This reliable fall color display lasts several weeks before leaf drop in late autumn, providing extended seasonal interest for designed landscapes.

Where Should You Plant Fan-Tex Ash?

Plant Fan-Tex Ash in full sun locations for best growth and fall color development. This tree tolerates partial shade but performs strongest with 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Avoid planting in areas with intense western sun exposure that can cause bark scald on young trunks. Fan-Tex Ash adapts to multiple soil types including clay, loam, and sandy soils, thriving in alkaline conditions common throughout the Southwest.

How Much Water Does Fan-Tex Ash Need?

Once established (typically 2-3 years), Fan-Tex Ash shows good drought tolerance and reduced water requirements compared to many shade trees. During establishment, provide deep watering every 7-10 days. Mature trees need supplemental irrigation during extended dry periods, approximately 2-3 times monthly in summer. Avoid overwatering which leads to root rot and health decline. This makes Fan-Tex Ash an excellent choice for water-wise landscapes and xeriscaping projects.

What Pests and Diseases Affect Fan-Tex Ash?

Fan-Tex Ash may encounter ash borers, aphids, and fungal infections common to ash species. Regular monitoring helps catch problems early. Proper spacing (minimum 20-25 feet between trees) promotes air circulation and reduces disease pressure. Maintain tree health through appropriate watering, avoid trunk wounds, and remove dead branches promptly. While ash trees face challenges, Fan-Tex Ash demonstrates better stress tolerance than many ash selections.

How Do You Use Fan-Tex Ash in Landscape Design?

Landscape architects and designers specify Fan-Tex Ash for urban street trees, parking lot shade, residential front yards, commercial campuses, and desert garden designs. Its pollution tolerance and heat resistance make it suitable for harsh urban microclimates. Use as a focal point specimen, in grouped plantings for screening, or lined along drives and walkways. The tree works well in both formal and naturalistic design styles.

Does Fan-Tex Ash Benefit Wildlife?

Fan-Tex Ash provides habitat and nesting sites for songbirds and supports small mammals. The winged seeds serve as food for birds throughout fall and winter. While not a major pollinator plant, the spring flowers attract some beneficial insects. Dense foliage offers summer shade and shelter, contributing to urban biodiversity and wildlife corridors in developed areas.

What is the Cultural and Historical Significance?

Native American tribes throughout the Southwest traditionally valued Velvet Ash for construction materials, tool making, and crafts. The wood's flexibility and strength made it useful for various applications. Some tribes used specific parts of the tree in traditional herbal remedies. While not edible, the tree holds cultural importance in Indigenous heritage of the region.

Why Choose Fan-Tex Ash for Your Project?

Fan-Tex Ash delivers proven performance in challenging southwestern climates where many trees struggle. This selection combines fast establishment, reliable fall color, moderate size for confined spaces, heat and pollution tolerance, and reduced water needs once mature. For landscape professionals seeking a dependable shade tree that performs year after year with minimal maintenance, Fan-Tex Ash represents a smart specification choice for residential, commercial, and municipal projects across USDA zones 6-9.

FAMILY

Oleaceae

MATURE HEIGHT

25 to 35 ft

GROWTH HABIT

Fraxinus velutina 'Fan Tex' is a fast-growing, upright deciduous shade tree known for its specific, uniform growth habit that is more compact and rounded to broad-oval than its parent species, the Arizona ash. This cultivar typically matures forming a high, dense canopy ideal for urban and residential landscapes. Its growth rate can add up to 36 inches in a single season under ideal conditions. The tree maintains a strong central leader and a shapely oval form, providing a consistent structural silhouette that is valued in the landscape

WATER REQUIREMENT

Moderate Water

HARDY TO

0°F

NATIVE REGION

Southwest US from California, Utah, Nevada, Texas and Arizona.

TYPE

Tree

SOIL TYPE

The Fraxinus velutina 'Fan Tex' (Fan-Tex ash) tree is exceptionally adaptable and not particular about a specific soil type or pH level, thriving in a wide range of conditions. It grows well in light (sandy), medium (loamy), or heavy (clay) soils, and can tolerate both acidic and highly alkaline soils. The most crucial requirement is that the soil be well-drained, though it can continue to thrive even in areas with poor drainage and is also tolerant of occasionally wet, rocky, or compacted urban soils.

MAINTENACE TIPS

Maintenance involves regular watering, especially during its establishment period and in hot, dry weather. While the tree is drought-tolerant once established, occasional deep watering helps reduce the tendency for surface roots to form. Apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring if desired, though the tree grows well in nutrient-deficient soils. Monitor for pests like the emerald ash borer and diseases like Texas root rot or anthracnose, taking preventative action as needed.

ELEVATION

to 7000 feet

15 to 35 ft

MATURE WIDTH

LEAF SHAPE

Fraxinus velutina 'Fan Tex' has thick, pinnately compound leaves with 3 to 5 opposite, elliptic to lanceolate leaflets that are dark green and glossy, turning a golden yellow in the fall. Unlike its parent species, which can have a fuzzy underside, 'Fan Tex' is smooth and somewhat leathery, and because it is a male, sterile cultivar, it produces no seeds, allowing it to reliably form a more symmetrical, oval canopy. The leaves emerge earlier and persist later into winter compared to other ash trees.

FLOWER COLOR

Inconspicuous, green or yellow-green

FLOWER CHARACTERISTICS

The Fraxinus velutina 'Fan Tex' (Fan-Tex Ash) has dioecious flowers, meaning male and female flowers grow on separate trees, but because this is an all-male cultivar, it produces inconspicuous male flowers that do not develop into seed pods. These male flowers emerge in clusters in early spring before the foliage, are apetalous (lack petals), and are a purplish-brown or yellow-green color.

FRUIT/SEED

Seedless. The lack of seeds is a key characteristic that makes it a desirable shade tree for residential and urban landscapes.

SUN EXPOSURE

Full Sun

POLLINATORS

The Fraxinus velutina 'Fan Tex' (Fan-Tex ash) is an all-male, sterile cultivar that does not produce flowers, nectar, or seeds, thus it offers minimal direct benefits to pollinators and wildlife. While the 'Fan Tex' variety primarily offers habitat and shade for general birds and beneficial insects, deer typically avoid the foliage. Some insects, such as specific stink bugs, may eat the leaves, and the tree might attract wasps or bees if aphids or scale insects produce honeydew, but it lacks the specific flowers and seeds that support a wide array of wildlife and pollinators.

PRUNING TIPS

Pruning is essential to develop a strong structure and should focus on establishing a single, strong central leader early in the tree's life. The best time for structural pruning of live branches is during the dormant season in late winter or early spring before new growth starts to avoid excessive sap bleeding. Dead, diseased, or broken branches, however, should be removed as soon as they are spotted at any time of year. Prune to remove weak crotches, crossing branches, or those growing downwards to ensure a stable, open canopy.