Ash (Fraxinus spp.) is composed of 40 to 70 species, native to Central and North America [21] and Eurasia [50]. All species look alike microscopically. The name fraxinus is the classical Latin name for ash.
The American species are as follows:
Fraxinus americana* American white ash, biltmore ash, biltmore white ash, Canadian ash, cane ash, green ash, ground ash, mountain ash, Quebec ash, red ash, smallseed white ash, white ash, white river ash, white southern ash
Fraxinus anomala dwarf ash, singleleaf ash
Fraxinus berlandierana Berlandier ash, Mexican ash
Fraxinus caroliniana Carolina ash, Florida ash, pop ash, swamp ash, water ash
Fraxinus cuspidata flowering ash, fragrant ash
Fraxinus dipetala California flowering ash, California shrub ash, foothill ash, flowering ash, fringe-flowering ash, mountain ash, two-petal ash
Fraxinus gooddingii Goodding ash
Fraxinus greggii dogleg ash, Gregg ash, littleleaf ash
Fraxinus latifolia* basket ash, Oregon ash, water ash, white ash
Fraxinus nigra*
American black ash, basket ash, black ash, brown ash,
Canadian ash, hoop ash, splinter ash, swamp ash, water ash
Fraxinus papillosa Chihuahua ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanica* bastard ash, black ash, blue ash, brown ash, Canadian ash, darlington ash, gray ash, green ash, piss ash, pumpkin ash, red ash, rim ash, river ash, soft ash, swamp ash, water ash, white ash
Fraxinus profunda* pumpkin ash, red ash
Fraxinus quadrangulata* blue ash, Virginia ash
Fraxinus texensis Texas ash
Fraxinus velutina Arizona ash, desert ash, leatherleaf ash, modesto ash, smooth ash, toumey ash, velvet ash
* commercial species
Distribution: The north temperate regions of the globe.
The Tree: Ashes are trees or shrubs with large, opposite, pinnately compound leaves. The compound leaves have 2 to 11 leaflets. The flowers can be bisexual or there can be distinct male and female flowers on separate trees. The flowers have no petals and the fruits are dry with a flattened wing. The tree can reach heights of 80 ft (24 m) with straight boles.
General Wood Characteristics: The sapwood of ash is light brown, while the heartwood is brown to grayish brown. White ash and Oregon ash have lighter heartwood than do the other commercial species. The width of the sapwood is 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 cm). It is ring porous, with the latewood being composed of parenchyma which surrounds and unites the latewood pores in tangential bands. The wood has no characteristic odor or taste.
Weight
Weightb
Species MC SGa lb/ft3 kg/m3
Fraxinus Green 0.55 48 769
americana
(white ash) 12% 0.60 42 673
Ovendry 0.64 NA NA
Fraxinus Green 0.50 46 737
latifolia
(Oregon ash) 12% 0.55 38 609
Ovendry 0.58 NA NA
Fraxinus nigra Greenb 0.45 52 833
(black ash) 12%b 0.49 34 545
Ovendry 0.53 NA NA
Fraxinus Green 0.53 49 785
pennsylvanica
(green ash) 12% 0.56 40 641
Ovendry 0.61 NA NA
Fraxinus profunda Greenb 0.48 46 737
(pumpkin ash) 12%b 0.52 36 577
Ovendry 0.55 NA NA
Fraxinus Green 0.53 46 737
quadrangulata
(blue ash) 12% 0.58 40 641
Ovendry 0.60 NA NA
aData for green and 12% conditions taken
from reference
(98); ovendry data from reference (59).
bData from reference (59).
Mechanical propertiesa
Property Green Dry
Fraxinus americana (white ash)a
MOE 1.44 106 9.928 GPa 1.74 106 11.997 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 9.60 103 66.192 MPa 15.0 103 103.425
lbf/in2 lbf/in2 MPa
C| | 3.99 103 27.511 MPa 7.41 103 51.092 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.67 103 4.620 MPa 1.16 103 7.998 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 15.7 108.252 16.6 114.457
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
960 lbf 4,270.08 N 1,320 lbf 5,871.36 N
Hardness
Shear| 1.35 103 9.308 MPa 1.91 103 13.169 MPa
| lbf/in2 lbf/in2
Fraxinus latifolia (Oregon ash)a
MOE 1.13 106 7.791 GPa 1.36 106 9.377 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 7.60 103 52.402 MPa 12.7 103 87.567 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 3.51 103 24.201 MPa 6.04 103 41.646 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.53 103 3.654 MPa 1.25 103 8.619 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 12.2 84.119 14.4 99.288
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
790 lbf 3,513.92 N 1,160 lbf 5,159.68 N
Hardness
Shear| 1.19 103 8.205 MPa 1.79 103 12.342 MPa
| lbf/in2 lbf/in2
Fraxinus nigra (black ash)a
MOE 1.04 106 7.171 GPa 1.60 106 11.032 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 6.00 103 41.370 MPa 12.6 103 86.877 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 2.30 103 15.859 MPa 5.97 103 41.163 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.35 103 2.413 MPa 0.76 103 5.240 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 12.1 83.430 14.9 102.736
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
520 lbf 2,312.96 N 850 lbf 3,780.80 N
Hardness
Shear| 0.86 103 5.929 MPa 1.57 103 10.825 MPa
| lbf/in2 lbf/in2
Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash)a
MOE 1.40 106 9.653 GPa 1.66 106 11.446 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 9.50 103 65.503 MPa 14.1 103 97.220 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 4.20 103 28.959 MPa 7.08 103 48.817 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.73 103 5.033 MPa 1.31 103 9.032 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 11.8 81.361 13.4 92.393
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
870 lbf 3,869.76 N 1,200 lbf 5,337.60 N
Hardness
Shear| 1.26 103 8.687 MPa 1.91 103 13.169 MPa
| lbf/in2 lbf/in2
Fraxinus profunda (pumpkin ash)b
MOE 1.04 106 7.171 GPa 1.27 106 8.757 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 7.60 103 52.402 MPa 11.1 103 76.535 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 3.36 103 23.167 MPa 5.69 103 39.233 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.99 103 6.826 MPa 1.80 103 12.411 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 9.4 64.813 8.0 in-lbf/in3 55.160
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 kJ/m3
750 lbf 3,336.00 N 990 lbf 4,403.52 N
Hardness
Shear| 1.21 103 8.343 MPa 1.72 103 11.859 MPa
| lbf/in2 lbf/in2
Fraxinus quadrangulata (blue ash)c
MOE 1.24 106 8.549 GPa 1.40 106 9.653 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 9.60 103 66.192 MPa 13.8 103 95.151 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 4.18 103 28.821 MPa 6.98 103 48.127 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.81 103 5.585 MPa 1.42 103 9.791 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 14.7 101.357 14.4 99.288
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
1,030 lbf 4581.44 N 2,030 lbf 9029.44 N
Hardness
Shear| 1.54 103 10.618 MPa 2.03 103 13.996 MPa
| lbf/in2 lbf/in2
aReference (98). bReference (59). cReference (98) except for
hardness, (59).
Drying and shrinkage
Percentage of shrinkage
(green to final moisture
content)
Type of shrinkage 0% MCa 6% MCb 20% MCb
Tangential
Fraxinus americana 7.8 6.2 2.6
(white ash)
Fraxinus latifolia 8.1 NA NA
(Oregon ash)
Fraxinus nigra (black 7.8 6.2 2.6
ash)
Fraxinus pennsylvanica 7.1 5.7 2.4
(green ash)
Fraxinus profunda 6.3 NA NA
(pumpkin ash)
Fraxinus quadrangulata 6.5 NA NA
(blue ash)
Radial
Fraxinus americana 4.9 3.8 1.6
(white ash)
Fraxinus latifolia 4.1 NA NA
(Oregon ash)
Fraxinus nigra (black 5.0 4.0 1.7
ash)
Fraxinus pennsylvanica 4.6 3.7 1.5
(green ash)
Fraxinus profunda 3.7 NA NA
(pumpkin ash)
Fraxinus quadrangulata 3.9 NA NA
(blue ash)
Volumetric
Fraxinus americana 13.3 10.7 4.5
(white ash)
Fraxinus latifolia 13.2 NA NA
(Oregon ash)
Fraxinus nigra (black 15.2 12.2 5.1
ash)
Fraxinus pennsylvanica 12.5 10.0 4.2
(green ash)
Fraxinus profunda 12.0 NA NA
(pumpkin ash)
Fraxinus quadrangulata 11.7 NA NA
(blue ash)
aReference (98).
bReference (90).
Kiln drying schedulea
4/4, 5/4, 8/4 10/4 12/4 16/4
Condition 6/4 stock stock stock stock stock
Standard T8-D4 T5-B3 T5-B3 T3-B2 T3-A1
aReferences (6, 86).
Working Properties: Ash is straight grained, heavy, hard, strong, and stiff; it wears smooth, with high shock resistance. It machines well and is better than average in nail- and screw-holding capacity. It glues moderately well. Black, green, pumpkin and blue ashes have lower specific gravity and lower strength properties, but are still moderately strong, hard, and stiff compared to other native hardwoods. Ashes also split easier, shrink more, are average in workability, and perform more poorly in service compared to other native hardwoods.
Durability: Rated as slightly or nonresistant to heartwood decay.
Preservation: No information available at this time.
Uses: Handle stock, baseball bats, unupholstered furniture, flooring, millwork, hand tools, sporting goods, boxes and crates.
Toxicity: No information available at this time.
Additional Reading: 29, 55, 68, 74, 89. 55, 66, 68, 74, 79. 28, 29, 42, 43, 44, 48, 50, 55, 56, 68, 72, 73, 74, 79, 92, 97, 102. 74, 75, 77, 99, 106. 101.