Photographs are not available yet.
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
137CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY
Genus host records with ranges including KY · Fraxinus
- Callosamia prometheaPromethea Moth
- Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
- Abagrotis alternataGreater Red Dart, Mottled Grey Cutworm
- Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
- Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
- Acronicta dolliDoll's Dagger
- Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
- Acronicta interruptaInterrupted Dagger
- Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
- Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
Show all 137
- Amphipyra glabellaSmooth Amphipyra
- Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
- Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
- Antaeotricha leucillanaWell-Marked Leaf Tier, Pale Gray Bird-Dropping Moth
- Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
- Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
- Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
- Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
- Archips semiferanusOak Leafroller Moth
- Arogalea cristifasciellaStripe-Backed Moth, White Stripe-Backed Moth
- Automeris ioIo Moth
- Baileya dormitansSleeping Baileya
- Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
- Campaea perlataPale Beauty, Fringed Looper
- Catocala habilisHabilis Underwing
- Catocala piatrixThe Penitent, Penitent Underwing
- Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
- Cenopis diluticostanaSpring Dead-Leaf Roller Moth, Oak Cenopis
- Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
- Ceratomia amyntorElm Sphinx
- Ceratomia undulosaWaved Sphinx
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Citheronia regalisRoyal Walnut Moth, Hickory Horned Devil
- Clepsis persicanaWhite Triangle Tortrix
- Coleophora pruniellaCherry Casebearer, Apple Leafmining Casebearer, Western Cigar Casebearer
- Copivaleria groteiGrote's Sallow
- Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
- Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
- Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
- Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
- Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
- Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
- Euchlaena johnsonariaJohnson's Euchlaena
- Euchlaena marginariaOchre Euchlaena
- Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
- Eulia ministranaFerruginous Eulia
- Euphydryas phaetonThe Baltimore, The Black Checker
- Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
- Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
- Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
- Harrisimemna trisignataHarris's Three-Spot
- Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
- Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Iridopsis ephyrariaPale-Winged Gray
- Iridopsis humariaSmall Purplish Gray
- Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
- Lambdina fervidariaCurve-Lined Looper Moth
- Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
- Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
- Lithophane innominataNameless Pinion
- Lithophane laticinereaBroad Ashen Pinion, Russet Spotted Pinion, Triple-Spotted Pinion
- Lithophane petulcaWanton Pinion
- Lithophane querqueraShivering Pinion
- Lomographa vestaliataWhite Spring Moth
- Lophocampa caryaeHickory Tussock Moth, Hickory Tiger Moth
- Lophocampa maculataSpotted Tussock Moth, Yellow-Spotted Tiger Moth
- Lycia ypsilonWoolly Gray
- Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
- Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
- Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
- Manduca jasminearumAsh Sphinx
- Manduca rusticaRustic Sphinx
- Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
- Melanchra assimilisBlack Arches
- Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
- Melanolophia signatariaSignate Melanolphia
- Metanema determinataDark Metanema
- Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
- Nadata gibbosaWhite-Dotted Prominent
- Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
- Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
- Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak
- Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
- Olceclostera angelicaThe Angel
- Orgyia definitaDefinite Tussock Moth
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthosia garmaniGarman's Quaker
- Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
- Orthosia revictaSubdued Quaker
- Orthotaenia undulanaDusky Leafroller
- Paleacrita vernataSpring Cankerworm Moth
- Palpita magniferalisSplendid Palpita
- Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
- Pandemis lamprosanaWoodgrain Leafroller
- Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
- Papaipema furcataAsh-Tip Borer
- Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
- Papilio cresphontesEastern Giant Swallowtail
- Paranthrene asilipennisOak Stump Borer Moth, Oak Borer
- Phaeoura quernariaOak Beauty Moth
- Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
- Phobetron pitheciumHag Moth, Monkey Slug
- Phyllodesma americanaLappet Moth, American Lappet Moth, Southern Lappet Moth
- Plagodis fervidariaFervid Plagodis
- Plagodis kuetzingiPurple Plagodis
- Platynota idaeusalisTufted Apple-Bud Moth
- Podosesia aureocinctaBanded Ash Clearwing
- Podosesia syringaeLilac Borer Moth, Ash Borer
- Prionoxystus macmurtreiLittle Carpenterworm, Lesser Oak Carpenter Worm
- Prionoxystus robiniaeCarpenterworm Moth, Black Locust Borer, Cottonwood Borer
- Probole alienariaDogwood Probole, Alien Probole
- Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
- Protoboarmia porcelariaPorcelain Gray, Dashedlined Looper
- Psaphida styracisFawn Sallow
- Rhopobota naevanaBlackheaded Fireworm, Holly Bud Moth, Holly Tortrix
- Satyrium calanusBanded Hairstreak, Falacer Hairstreak
- Satyrium caryaevorusHickory Hairstreak
- Satyrium liparopsStriped Hairstreak
- Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
- Sericaglaea signataVariable Sallow
- Smerinthus jamaicensisTwin-Spotted Sphinx
- Sparganothis unifascianaOne-Lined Sparganothis
- Sphinx canadensisCanadian Sphinx
- Sphinx chersisGreat Ash Sphinx
- Sphinx franckiiFranck's Sphinx
- Sphinx gordiusApple Sphinx
- Sphinx kalmiaeFawn Sphinx, Laurel Sphinx
- Spilosoma latipennisPink-Legged Tiger Moth
- Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
- Sympistis chionanthiFringed-Tree Sallow, Grey O Moth
- Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Tolype velledaLarge Tolype, Large Lappet Moth, Vellada Lappet Moth
- Bucculatrix packardella
- Eupithecia swettii
- Stigmella apicialbella
3BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Fraxinus
- Coccothraustes vespertinusEvening Grosbeak
- Ortalis vetulaPlain Chachalaca
- Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Oleaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 4a–7b
- Soil pH
- Acidic to alkaline
- Flower color
- Purple
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Flower color · “Purple” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Hardiness · “Zones 4a–7b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “50–70 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Spread · “50–70 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as
Blue Ash
Conservation status
| Kentucky rank | S5 |
|---|---|
| Global rank | Not available |
| KY status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
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Sources
- tnky_atlas
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications