White Ash

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

Common Name(s): White Ash, American White Ash

Scientific Name: Fraxinus americana

Distribution: Eastern North America

Tree Size: 65-100 ft (20-30 m) tall, 2-5 ft (.6-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 44 lbs/ft³ (710 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .55

Hardness: 1,320 lb_f (5,870 N)

Rupture Strength: 15,000 lb_f/in² (103,450 kPa)

Elastic Strength: 1,740,000 lb_f/in² (12,000 MPa)

Crushing Strength: 7,410 lb_f/in² (51.1 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 4.9%, Tangential: 7.8%, Volumetric: 13.3%, T/R Ratio: 1.6

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 (winged) 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: Can have 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: Ash is among the least expensive utility hardwoods available domestically; it should compare similarly to oak in terms of price.

Comments: White 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)

European Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)

Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

Oregon Ash (Fraxinus latifolia)

Pumpkin Ash (Fraxinus profunda)

Olive Ash