Abstract: The proper sterilizing method, the effects of basic media and hormones for axillary bud sprouting and proliferation in vitro were studied. The explants were stem cuts with axillary or apical bud from one-year old seedlings of Fraxinus mandshurica. The sterilization was proved to be very difficult. Sterilizing the buds with 0.05% HgCl₂ for 2 min resulted in the lowest contamination. The effect of BA for bud germination was better than that of 2ip. Eight mg/L was proved to be the optimum level of BA, and the bud sprouting rate could reach 100% by this level. Shoot cluster could be obtained by transplanting the sprouted axillary buds onto medium with ZT, the best proliferation was observed on medium with one mg/L ZT, and the proliferation rate could reach three. WPM was proved to be the best medium either for the bud sprouting and shoot proliferation, that is, WPM medium is proper for in vitro axillary bud culture of F. mandshurica.

Key words: Fraxinus mandshurica, in vitro culture, axillary buds