GREEN ASH

or RED ASH

GREEN ASH or Red Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

Green ash is not found as abundantly as the white and black ash, but is fairly common in central Maine. It is sometimes mistaken for the former. It grows near the banks of streams and lakes on rich, moist soil. It has stout branches which bend downward on older trees. These form an irregular, compact head in the forest. It seldom exceeds a height of 50-60 feet and a diameter of 16-20 inches.

The bark on the trunk of old trees is firm and furrowed like that of the white ash. In color, it is dark gray, or brown.

The twigs of the season are greenish gray and covered with numerous hairs; sometimes with no hairs. Inner bark is cinnamon red in color.

The leaves are 10-12 inches long, opposite and have 7-9 leaflets borne on stalks. Leaflets are 4-6 inches long, entire or wavy, or sometimes toothed, particularly on the upper half of the leaflets, yellow-green on the upper surface, hairy below and on the rachis, and oval to elliptical in shape.

The fruit has a funnel-shaped seed body gradually blending into the terminal wing.

The wood is hard, heavy, fairly strong, coarse-grained, and brittle. It is used for agricultural implements, tool handles, oars, furniture, interior finish, sporting goods and pulp, but is not as good a wood as white ash.