White Ash

The White Ash (Fraxinus americana) is one of the largest of the ash genus Fraxinus, growing to 35 m tall. It is native to eastern North American hardwood forests, it is a tree of mesophytic forests from Quebec to northern Florida. The wood is white, strong, and straight-grained. The name White Ash apparently derives from the glaucous undersides of the leaves. The leaves are 20-30 cm long, pinnately compound with 7 (occasionally 5 or 9) leaflets, 6-13 cm long.

This tree, like all ashes, is dioecious, with male and female flowers being borne on separate trees. Flowering occurs in early spring after 30-55 growing degree days. The fruit when fully formed is a samara 3-5 cm long, the seed 1.5-2 cm long with a pale brown wing 1.5-3 cm long, and can be blown a good distance from the parent tree.

It is the timber of choice for production of baseball bats and tool handles

The White Ash is similar to the Green Ash .

See also

• Trees of Canada