American Ash: Fraxinus spp, Oleaceae

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
Species	MC	SGa	Weightb
Species	MC	SGa	lb/ft3	kg/m3
Fraxinus americana	Green	0.55	48	769
(white ash)	12%	0.60	42	673
	Ovendry	0.64	NA	NA
Fraxinus latifolia	Green	0.50	46	737
(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 pennsylvanica	Green	0.53	49	785
(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 quadrangulata	Green	0.53	46	737
(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 x 106 lbf/in2	9.928 GPa	1.74 x 106 lbf/in2	11.997 GPa
MOR	9.60 x 103 lbf/in2	66.192 MPa	15.0 x 103 lbf/in2	103.425 MPa
C\| \|	3.99 x 103 lbf/in2	27.511 MPa	7.41 x 103 lbf/in2	51.092 MPa
Cl	0.67 x 103 lbf/in2	4.620 MPa	1.16 x 103 lbf/in2	7.998 MPa
WML	15.7 in-lbf/in3	108.252 kJ/m3	16.6 in-lbf/in3	114.457 kJ/m3
Hardness	960 lbf	4,270.08 N	1,320 lbf	5,871.36 N
Shear\| \|	1.35 x 103 lbf/in2	9.308 MPa	1.91 x 103 lbf/in2	13.169 MPa
Fraxinus latifolia (Oregon ash)a
MOE	1.13 x 106 lbf/in2	7.791 GPa	1.36 x 106 lbf/in2	9.377 GPa
MOR	7.60 x 103 lbf/in2	52.402 MPa	12.7 x 103 lbf/in2	87.567 MPa
C\| \|	3.51 x 103 lbf/in2	24.201 MPa	6.04 x 103 lbf/in2	41.646 MPa
Cl	0.53 x 103 lbf/in2	3.654 MPa	1.25 x 103 lbf/in2	8.619 MPa
WML	12.2 in-lbf/in3	84.119 kJ/m3	14.4 in-lbf/in3	99.288 kJ/m3
Hardness	790 lbf	3,513.92 N	1,160 lbf	5,159.68 N
Shear\| \|	1.19 x 103 lbf/in2	8.205 MPa	1.79 x 103 lbf/in2	12.342 MPa
Fraxinus nigra (black ash)a
MOE	1.04 x 106 lbf/in2	7.171 GPa	1.60 x 106 lbf/in2	11.032 GPa
MOR	6.00 x 103 lbf/in2	41.370 MPa	12.6 x 103 lbf/in2	86.877 MPa
C\| \|	2.30 x 103 lbf/in2	15.859 MPa	5.97 x 103 lbf/in2	41.163 MPa
Cl	0.35 x 103 lbf/in2	2.413 MPa	0.76 x 103 lbf/in2	5.240 MPa
WML	12.1 in-lbf/in3	83.430 kJ/m3	14.9 in-lbf/in3	102.736 kJ/m3
Hardness	520 lbf	2,312.96 N	850 lbf	3,780.80 N
Shear\| \|	0.86 x 103 lbf/in2	5.929 MPa	1.57 x 103 lbf/in2	10.825 MPa
Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash)a
MOE	1.40 x 106 lbf/in2	9.653 GPa	1.66 x 106 lbf/in2	11.446 GPa
MOR	9.50 x 103 lbf/in2	65.503 MPa	14.1 x 103 lbf/in2	97.220 MPa
C\| \|	4.20 x 103 lbf/in2	28.959 MPa	7.08 x 103 lbf/in2	48.817 MPa
Cl	0.73 x 103 lbf/in2	5.033 MPa	1.31 x 103 lbf/in2	9.032 MPa
WML	11.8 in-lbf/in3	81.361 kJ/m3	13.4 in-lbf/in3	92.393 kJ/m3
Hardness	870 lbf	3,869.76 N	1,200 lbf	5,337.60 N
Shear\| \|	1.26 x 103 lbf/in2	8.687 MPa	1.91 x 103 lbf/in2	13.169 MPa
Fraxinus profunda (pumpkin ash)b
MOE	1.04 x 106 lbf/in2	7.171 GPa	1.27 x 106 lbf/in2	8.757 GPa
MOR	7.60 x 103 lbf/in2	52.402 MPa	11.1 x 103 lbf/in2	76.535 MPa
C\| \|	3.36 x 103 lbf/in2	23.167 MPa	5.69 x 103 lbf/in2	39.233 MPa
Cl	0.99 x 103 lbf/in2	6.826 MPa	1.80 x 103 lbf/in2	12.411 MPa
WML	9.4 in-lbf/in3	64.813 kJ/m3	8.0 in-lbf/in3	55.160 kJ/m3
Hardness	750 lbf	3,336.00 N	990 lbf	4,403.52 N
Shear\| \|	1.21 x 103 lbf/in2	8.343 MPa	1.72 x 103 lbf/in2	11.859 MPa
Fraxinus quadrangulata (blue ash)c
MOE	1.24 x 106 lbf/in2	8.549 GPa	1.40 x 106 lbf/in2	9.653 GPa
MOR	9.60 x 103 lbf/in2	66.192 MPa	13.8 x 103 lbf/in2	95.151 MPa
C\| \|	4.18 x 103 lbf/in2	28.821 MPa	6.98 x 103 lbf/in2	48.127 MPa
Cl	0.81 x 103 lbf/in2	5.585 MPa	1.42 x 103 lbf/in2	9.791 MPa
WML	14.7 in-lbf/in3	101.357 kJ/m3	14.4 in-lbf/in3	99.288 kJ/m3
Hardness	1,030 lbf	4581.44 N	2,030 lbf	9029.44 N
Shear\| \|	1.54 x 103 lbf/in2	10.618 MPa	2.03 x 103 lbf/in2	13.996 MPa

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 (white ash)	7.8	6.2	2.6
Fraxinus latifolia (Oregon ash)	8.1	NA	NA
Fraxinus nigra (black ash)	7.8	6.2	2.6
Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash)	7.1	5.7	2.4
Fraxinus profunda (pumpkin ash)	6.3	NA	NA
Fraxinus quadrangulata (blue ash)	6.5	NA	NA
Radial
Fraxinus americana (white ash)	4.9	3.8	1.6
Fraxinus latifolia (Oregon ash)	4.1	NA	NA
Fraxinus nigra (black ash)	5.0	4.0	1.7
Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash)	4.6	3.7	1.5
Fraxinus profunda (pumpkin ash)	3.7	NA	NA
Fraxinus quadrangulata (blue ash)	3.9	NA	NA
Volumetric
Fraxinus americana (white ash)	13.3	10.7	4.5
Fraxinus latifolia (Oregon ash)	13.2	NA	NA
Fraxinus nigra (black ash)	15.2	12.2	5.1
Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash)	12.5	10.0	4.2
Fraxinus profunda (pumpkin ash)	12.0	NA	NA
Fraxinus quadrangulata (blue ash)	11.7	NA	NA

aReference (98).
bReference (90).

Kiln drying schedulea

4/4, 5/4, 6/4

Condition stock

8/4
stock

10/4
stock

12/4
stock

16/4
stock

Standard T8-D4

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.

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