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IMPORTANT DISTINCTIONS
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BLACK ASH
Fraxinus nigra
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WHITE ASH
Fraxinus americana
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GREEN ASH
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
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| Leaves
Have 7 to 11 toothed leaflets which are without stalks except the one
at the end. Hairs lacking below except for buff-colored hairs at the junction
of the leaflets and the rachis. Turn yellow in the autumn.
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Leaves
Have 5 to 9 leaflets, usually 7, which are borne on stalks, without
hairs below. Turn purple in the autumn. Leaflets mostly entire.
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Leaves
Have 7 tto 9 leaflets borne on stalks. Hairy below and on rachis. Turn
yellow or bronze in the autumn.
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| Fruit
Flat, wing completely surrounding seed body. The seed body is slightly
twisted and is less than half the length of the fruit.
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Fruit
Cigar-shaped, seed body, wing terminal.
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Fruit
Seed body funnel-shaped grading gradually into wing.
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| Winter Buds
Black or very dark terminal bud. Less than 1/4 inch long, sharply pointed.
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Winter Buds
Brown terminal, 1/8 inch long, blunt pointed.
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Winter Buds
Brown terminal, 1/8 inch long, cone shaped, and coated with rusty or
ddull red hairs
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| Winter Twigs
Pale gray, smooth. Not shiny. Inner bark of vigorous shoots is dirty
white.
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Winter Twigs
Gray or greenish brown, smooth and shiny. Often with slight bloom. Very
brittle. Inner bark of vigorous shoots bright brick read.
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Winter Twigs
Greenish gray, somewhat covered with downy hairs. Inner bark of vigorous
shoots cinnamon-colored.
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| Specimens of green ash which lack hairs on the twigs or
leaflets, but otherwise fit the above description, were formerly designated
as var. lanceolata. They are now designated under the species due to the
many graduations of the hairiness characteristic. |
