White Ash
Fraxinus americana

White ash (Fraxinus americana), one of the more common and rapidly growing trees of forests and fields in all of Ohio, is also a popular shade tree for urban areas. From the forest, its wood is harvested to make baseball bats, tool handles, furniture, and for use as firewood. Among the ashes, its wood is considered the best. As a shade tree, it is known for its rapid growth and dependable fall color. One of the first trees to change color in autumn, its leaves often go through shades of yellow, orange, red, and purple. Its stems are thicker than those of green ash and blue ash, giving it a more bold texture in winter. A native of eastern North America, white ash is found mostly in cut-over forests, open fields, and fencerows. Under ideal conditions in the open, it grows to 70 feet tall by 50 feet wide, with a medium to rapid growth rate. Its shape is upright oval when young, becoming upright spreading to rounded with maturity. As a member of the olive family, white ash is related to the fringe trees, forsythias, privets, and lilacs, as well as other species of ash.