European Ash

European Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)

Common Name(s): European Ash, Common Ash

Scientific Name: Fraxinus excelsior

Distribution: Europe and southwestern Asia

Tree Size: 65-115 ft (20-35 m) tall, 3-6 ft (1-2 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 40 lbs/ft³ (650 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .49

Hardness: 1,480 lb_f (6,580 N)

Rupture Strength: 15,020 lb_f/in² (103,590 kPa)

Elastic Strength: 1,785,000 lb_f/in² (12,310 MPa)

Crushing Strength: 7,400 lb_f/in² (51.0 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 5.7%, Tangential: 9.6%, Volumetric: 15.3%, T/R Ratio: 1.7

Color/Appearance: The heartwood is a light brown color, though darker shades can also be seen, which is sometimes sold as Olive Ash.

Grain/Pore: Has a medium to coarse texture similar to oak. The grain is almost always straight and regular, though sometimes curly or figured boards can be found.

Endgrain: Ring-porous; large earlywood pores 2-4 rows wide, small latewood pores solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; tyloses common; growth rings distinct; rays barely visible without lens; parenchyma banded (marginal), paratracheal parenchyma around latewood pores vasicentric, aliform, and confluent.

Durability: Heartwood is rated as perishable, or only slightly durable in regard to decay. Ash is also not resistant to insect attack.

Workability: Easy to work, and takes glues, stains, and finishes well.

Scent: Gives off a distinct, moderately unpleasant smell when being worked.

Safety: Ash in the Fraxinus genus has been reported to occasionally cause a decrease in lung function. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price/Availability: European Ash is the European equivalent to White Ash of the United States, and both should be among the least expensive utility hardwoods available domestically, respectively. It should compare similarly to oak in terms of price.

Comments: European Ash has fairly good strength properties for its weight, and is also shock resistant. Some common uses for ash include flooring, millwork, boxes/crates, baseball bats, and other turned objects such as tool handles.

Related Species:

Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra)

Blue Ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata)

Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

Oregon Ash (Fraxinus latifolia)

Pumpkin Ash (Fraxinus profunda)

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

Olive Ash