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Tuesday - April 29, 2008

From: Pflugerville, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Information about FanTex ash.
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I live in central Texas and recenty planted Fan-tex ash trees thinking that they were similar to the native Texas ash. I am beginning to beleive that this tree has more in common with the Arizona ash than the Texas Ash. Can you give me some information on this?

ANSWER:

Fantex is a cultivar of Fraxinus velutina (Arizona ash). Rather, Fantex is a "sport", or mutant form, of ash that was selected and developed by Fanick's Nursery in San Antonio for its different leaf type—its leaves are smooth; whereas the regular F. velutina leaves are somewhat fuzzy on the underside. There is, however, great variety in the texture of the leaves of this species. Additionally, Fantex apparently has a thicker leaf and is sterile (producing no seeds). It is always grafted onto Fraxinus velutina root stock according to the Pima Arizona Cooperative Extension. There are those who sing its praises and those who don't. The Modesto ash, another popular cultivar of F. velutina, is a male clone and thus produces no seed litter. It has come under attack, at least in California, by fungus.

Fraxinus albicans (Texas ash) is a different species altogether. You can read descriptions of F. velutina and F. texensis from Florida Cooperative Extension Service and compare them.

Fraxinus velutina

Fraxinus albicans