Members of the olive family, ash trees are an important source of hardwood in North America. There are about 70 different species, or kinds, of ashes. Some types are valued for their beauty as well as their timber.

Where ashes grow

Ash trees grow throughout the lands north of the equator. They grow best where the weather is neither extremely hot nor cold. Some can grow in dry areas, but most grow in moist soil. Young ash trees can tolerate some shade, but older trees need more sun and do not grow well in the shade of a forest.

Physical features

Some ashes are considered shrubs, but most are trees. Ash trees are typically small to medium in height, though some may grow taller than 100 feet (30 meters). The white ash reaches a height of as much as 120 feet (37 meters). Most ashes have a strong, straight trunk and spreading branches that form a rounded crown around the tree. The bark is gray and smooth, grooved, or scaly. The green leaves of most ashes turn yellow to purple in autumn. The flowers are small and grow in clusters. Each seed has a papery wing shaped like a dragonfly wing. Mammals and birds typically eat many of the seeds after they ripen and drop.

Uses

White ashes and green ashes in particular are known for their strong, durable wood. Their wood is used in such products as baseball bats, hockey sticks, oars, tennis rackets, furniture, tool handles, flooring, and barrels. Ash trees are also often planted in cities to provide shade and color. Pioneers are said to have used the bark of the blue ash tree for blue dye. The sap and inner bark of this type of ash turn blue when exposed to air.