Fraxinus americana - (image 1 of 6)
Taxonomy
Family: Oleaceae
Habitat
Deep, well-drained, upland soils.
Associates
Includes Acer saccharum, Cornus racemosa, Ostrya virginiana, Parthenocissus quinequefolia, Prunus serotina, Prunus virginiana, Quercus alba, Quercus rubra, Sambucus canadensis, Tilia americana, Ulmus americana, Vitis riparia.
Distribution
Morphology
Medium tree with a narrow crown and pyramidal shape. Leaves opposite, pinnate compound, 5-9 leaflets, pale beneath, often entire, the lateral leaflets on distinct petiolules 5mm or more long. Branchlets glabrous.
Notes
Flowers early April to mid May
Wetland indicator: Facultative upland
A common forest tree and the most common native ash. Fall color can be bronze to yellow, purple, or shades of red. An interesting effect occurs in open grown specimens where the leaves towards the middle of the tree remain yellow and the outer leaves turn purple-red. This is the commercial source of ash lumber. Major league baseball bats are made almost exclusively of white ash, though sometimes together with the bark of Quercus suber.
Bibliography
Farrar, J. L. 1995. Trees of the Northern United States and Canada.
Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press
Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.
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Michael Hough © 2004 |