Tropical Ash

Also known as Shamel Ash, Mexican Ash, Evergreen Ash

Tropical ash is a fast-growing, semi-evergreen canopy tree with glossy pinnate leaves that casts dense shade across warm temperate and subtropical regions. In its native Mexican cloud forests and river canyons, it anchors riparian soils, whereas in introduced island ecosystems like Hawaii, it forms dense stands that displace endemic understory flora. Wind disperses its abundant, single-winged samaras across great distances, allowing it to quickly colonize disturbed slopes and woodland clearings.