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Four Season Virtual Tree Trail

Station Two - White Ash  Fraxinus americana

 

The White Ash is the largest of all of the ashes, and a common hardwood in the eastern United States.  It is a member of the Olive family.  Trees seventy to eighty feet high are fairly common, but it has occasionally reached up to one hundred and twenty five feet in height and six feet in diameter.

Habitat:  White Ashes appear in a wide variety of habitats, from bottomlands to upland slopes such as this one.

 

 
Approaching Station Two
   
 
  White Ash Leaf

Identification:  In fall the leaves of the White Ash can be yellow or purple.  Each leaf is composed of 5-9 leaflets.  The leaves are pinnately compound, opposite and have a total length between 8 and 12 inches.  The leaves are paler below and lightly hairy.  The White Ash leaflets are entire below the midpoint of the leaflet.  Compare the leaflet shape with that of the Shagbark Hickory.  Note that the White Ash leaflets are stalked, unlike the leaflets of the Shagbark Hickory.  The White Ash leaves and branches are  opposite, whereas the Shagbark Hickory leaves and branches are alternate.  You can see the branching pattern better as the tree loses its leaves. 

   
 
White Ash Bark

The bark of the White Ash is gray-brown, thick, and is deeply furrowed with a distinctive diamond-shaped pattern of ridges.  This is a good identification characteristic in all seasons for this tree. 

 

The twigs of the White Ash are stout, gray or brown or sometimes greenish brown.  The upper edge of the leaf scars have a deep notch.  Smaller twigs are round, not four- sided as they are for Blue Ash. 

 

   
 
  White Ash Samaras

In late summer and fall you can often find the fruit of the White Ash on the pavement of the tree trail.  The fruits, called samaras, are paddle-shaped.  Look at the shape of the samara closely, because you will want to compare its shape with the samara of the Blue Ash at station Eight.  In the White Ash, the seed is only partially enclosed by the wings.  The samaras are eaten by many birds and rodents.

 

Other Uses and Lore:  Although not as strong as hickory, the wood has a good combination of strength and lightness.  It is much used for the "D" handles of shovels and spades, and is the wood of choice for oars and baseball bats.

 

 

The Trail From Station Two to Station Three

Asters

From Station Two, the trail winds its way down the west side of the ridge.  Early in the fall, look along the sides of the trail for wildflowers.   Often there are subtle changes in the habitat and plant and animal species due to the changing aspect of a slope.  Look for a marker on the left of the trail in front of a tall tree with dark bark that is divided into small blocks.  You will be at Station Three.

 

   
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