It’s official! Marshall Square Park has a Pennsylvania Champion Tree, a Blue Ash (Fraxinus, quadrangulata). Of this relatively rare species, our specimen is over 90 feet tall.
The Blue Ash, mostly native to western Ohio, is so named because early pioneers extracted a blue dye from its inner bark.
Champion trees are measured and scored by experts as the largest of their species in our state. A Longwood Gardens team measured our tree.
To see it, go to the park’s Matlack side, go down the Lafayette Street stairs and turn right. The Blue Ash is the first large tree in front of you. Look for the scaly bark, an identifying characteristic.
Beware: Our champion wears lightening protection (don’t touch).
