05/18/2026
Moving from the mountains to the prairie was a bit of an adjustment for me. My main thought for quite a long time was- "There's no trees!".
Although it's true that there are fewer trees in the prairie, the trees that do grow here offer some powerful medicine.
Ash trees are native to North Dakota. The Green Ash is the most common native ash, making up a massive portion of the state's woodlands, shelterbelts, and urban forests. Additionally, the Black Ash is native to a very small portion of northeastern North Dakota.
Below is a short materia medica page on Ash trees.
Ash
Fraxinus spp.
Actions & Traditional Uses
Fraxinus species have been noted for anticancer, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antioxidant, anticytotoxic, antiaging, antimicrobial, and antihypertensive activity. Stem bark, root bark, and leaf extracts have long been used in traditional folk medicine. Ash bark has traditionally been employed as a bitter tonic, astringent, and antiperiodic, especially in decoction for intermittent fever and ague as a substitute for Peruvian bark. It was also considered useful for obstructions of the liver and spleen and for arthritic rheumatism.
Leaves are described as diuretic, diaphoretic, purgative, and laxative, especially for gouty and rheumatic complaints, with less griping effect than senna. Distilled leaf water was historically used for dropsy and obesity, while leaf decoctions in white wine were reputed to dissolve stones and help jaundice.
The fruits (“Ash Keys”) were regarded as more active than bark or leaves and were historically used for flatulence. They were also pickled and used similarly to capers.
Ethnobotanical Uses
Native American uses of white ash included:
Leaf decoction as a laxative and postpartum tonic
Seeds as an aphrodisiac, diuretic, appetite stimulant, styptic, emetic, and fever remedy
Bark tea for itching scalp, lice, sores, and snakebite
Leaf juice applied to mosquito bites for swelling and itching relief
Traditional folklore also associated ash with remedies for warts, paralysis, snakebite, and childhood rupture.
Constituents
Contains fraxin, fraxetin, tannins, quercetin, mannite, volatile oil, gum, and malic acid (free and calcium-bound).
Preparations
Bark commonly prepared as a decoction
Leaf infusion: 1 oz. leaves per pint of water, taken in divided doses over 24 hours
Leaves traditionally gathered in June, dried, powdered, and stored airtight
Notes
Modern literature describes Fraxinus as a promising medicinal plant with significant pharmacological potential, though additional research is needed regarding dosage, toxicology, molecular mechanisms, and clinical effectiveness.
References
PubMed Central – Fraxinus Review
USDA Plant Guide – White Ash
Botanical.com – Ash Monograph
