Ptelea trifoliata
Common hoptree · also Wafer ash, Stinking ash, Skunk bush
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Ptelea trifoliata is a deciduous shrub or small tree with trifoliate leaves and a rounded canopy. Its inconspicuous flowers produce papery samara fruits, and its leaves turn yellow in fall. The plant attracts butterflies and provides shelter for birds and mammals, thriving in rocky slopes, woodlands, savannas, and river valleys.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 210.01%11 yr2.2 in
- 200.01%—2.3 in
- 120.02%6.8 yr2.4 in
- 90.01%23 yr15 in
- 70.00%—3.0 in
- 60.00%2.1 yr2.0 in
- 50.00%—2.8 in
- 40.00%—3.9 in
- 30.00%—10 in
- 20.00%—22 in
- 10.00%——
Traits
- Form
- Broadleaf
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Mature height
- 5–15 ft
- Canopy spread
- 10–15 ft
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Water needs
- Moderate
- Wildlife value
- High
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
Trunk diameters across every city: median 2.4 in, mean 5.3 in, 90th percentile 15 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands
- Central US forest-grasslands transition
- Central Tallgrass prairie
- Central-Southern US mixed grasslands
Temperate Broadleaf & Mixed Forests
- East Central Texas forests
- Gulf of St. Lawrence lowland forests