This tree has a large range, including Texas, southern New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, and Mexico at elevations of 2000-6000 ft. They are found along washes and streams. They can often be found in canyons with a perennial source of water (1). In the desert, ash trees indicate a permanent underground water supply. In Utah, it is mostly found growing in canyons near intermittent streams. In Nevada, it grows around springs and streams at Ash Meadows; but also in the Spring Range and on the margins of the Mojave Desert in spring canyons and other mesic locations between 1000 and 4500 feet elevation (2). 

This tree grows in full sun. It tolerates clay, loam, sand, acidic, alkaline, well-drained, occasionally wet, and rocky soils. It has a high drought tolerance.  It is commonly used for large parking lot islands (> 200 square feet in size); wide tree lawns (>6 feet wide); medium-sized tree lawns (4-6 feet wide); recommended for buffer strips around parking lots or for median strip plantings in the highway; reclamation plant; shade tree; sidewalk cutout (tree pit); residential street tree; tree has been successfully grown in urban areas where air pollution, poor drainage, compacted soil, and/or drought are common. The tree can be difficult to maintain due to the development of many upright trunks originating from the same position on the main trunk which can lead to weak trees that break apart at the base of multiple trunks. Careful pruning and branch selection is required during the first 15 years after planting to ensure a strong tree. Propagation is done easily by seed (4). Seeds may be sown outdoors after collection or stored and stratified then sown in spring. Stratifying in moist sand or perlite for 30-60 days at 41 degrees F is recommended (3).

Short sticks of ash were used to hunt chuckwalla, a native lizard (6). The Guarijios of Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico, use fresno's hard wood to make handles for axes and other tools. Walapai use the wood to make bows, poles for gathering saguaro fruits and pine cones, and staffs. The Tarahumara use it to make violin bodies, while the Tepehuan make the violin neck from it. The Northern Tepehuan make arrows from the easily worked wood (7). The Tarahumara and Northern Tepehuan eat the leaves as a condiment or as a potherb after being repeatedly boiled. The desert ash has many names. In Sonoran Spanish this tree is called botavaras (to make sticks) and is called fresno or terciopelo in the U.S. Southwest. In the Navajo language it is called dahba’ (“dabba”); in Tübatulabal awilibïl; in Akimel, Hia Ced, and Tohono O’odham it is bitoi (“pitoi”); called edivi by the Kawaiisu; pávlas in Luiseño; piichaii by the Mountain Pima; pimaráakârâ in Comanche, pítai in Northern Tepehuan; pitai in Nevome; uré by the Tarahumara; pök by the Yuki; im’val by the Walapai, and mωRc by the Maricopa (5).