Carolina Nature

Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of North Carolina

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

Plantae>Magnoliophyta>Magnoliopsida>Scrophulariales>Oleaceae>Fraxinus americana L.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) leaves

White Ash is a common overstory tree that occurs in a wide range of habitats throughout North Carolina.

Granville Co., NC 5/25/2009.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) leaves

Leaflets are often ovate (egg-shaped).

Granville Co., NC 5/25/2009.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) leaves

The leaves are whitish (glaucous) beneath.

Granville Co., NC 5/25/2009.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) leaves

Granville Co., NC 5/25/2009.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) leaves

Leaves from beneath.

Chatham Co., NC 6/28/09.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) flowers

Flowers appear in early spring. These are male flowers. White Ash is dioecious &mdash male and female flowers are on different trees.

Carroll Co., VA 4/25/08.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

These leaflets are unusually long and tapered (acuminate).

The samaras (fruits) have long, narrow wings.

Madison Co., NC 5/11/08.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

Very similar to Green Ash (F. pennsylvanica), which has green leaf undersides and occurs only in wet habitats. One clue way to telling the two species apart is to look at the leaf scars -- in Green Ash the lateral bud is above the leaf scar; in White Ash the bud sits within the U-shaped scar. However, this difference is not reliable. I've seen a vigorously growing White Ash with nearly flat leaf scars, not embracing the bud.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) flowers

Female flowers.

Durham, NC 3/28/07.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) flowers

Durham, NC 3/28/07.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) bud

Buds are rich brown with an interesting scaly texture.

Granville Co., NC 5/25/2009.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) bud

The bud here is only slightly surrounded by the base of the petiole.

Granville Co., NC 5/25/2009.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

The pale bark is often broken into alligator-back squares.

Durham, NC 3/28/07.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

The bark of larger trees usually has diamond-shaped intersecting ridges.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) bark

Bark of a large tree.

Chatham Co., NC 6/28/09.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) bark

Typical bark of a large tree.

Stanly Co., NC 4/17/2011.

More information:
NC State Fact Sheet
Trees of Alabama and the Southeast
US Forest Service Silvics Manual
Virginia Tech Dendrology

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