General: Velvet Ash (Fraxinus velutina) is a tallish, round-topped tree of wet areas. The leaves are compound (each leaf is divided into 5 or 7(11) elongate leaflets). Seeds are produced in bunches that hang from small branchlet; each seed has a wing that catches in the wind. Ripe fruit long (15-38 mm including the wing). The bark is gray with many, shallow furrows. Plants male or female.

Velvet Ash (Fraxinus velutina) are found along washes, rivers, and other wet areas in the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) life zone.

Around Las Vegas, the best place to find Velvet Ash is along the Calico Basin Boardwalk Trail in Red Rock Canyon NCA.

Family: Olive (Oleaceae).

Other Names:

Plant Form: Upright, branching tree.

Height: Usually 15-25 ft, to 50 ft.

Trunk: Gray with many, shallow furrows in the bark.

Leaves: Leaves compound (usually 5 or 7 leaflets), elongate. The upper surface of young leaves are velvety. Lateral leaflets usually stalked (as if each leaflet has a petiole). Leaflets generally lanceolate to lance-ovate, but not ovate.

Flowers: Not showy, has no petals. Tip of fruit pedicel expanded.

Seeds: Seeds are produced in bunches that hang from small branchlets; each seed has a wing (sumara) that catches in the wind. Seed 12–14 mm. Fruit wing long (15–38 mm); wing long relative to the seed.

Distribution: California to SW Utah and Texas, and south into northern Mexico.

Habitat: Washes, river corridors, springs.

Elevation: About 1,000 to 5,000 feet.

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