Did you know I'm used to make tool handles?
At first glance, the American ash might look similar to the pin ash, butternut, or swamp maple, all of which have compound leaves. However, its dark gray bark distinguishes it from the pin ash, which has more reddish hues and a more drooping habit.
Its smooth, dark green leaves with stalked leaflets are different from those of the swamp maple and butternut. The ash bears its leaves opposite each other, on either side of the twig.
Its simple samaras, which grow in clusters, are long and thin. They are elliptical in shape, like a paddle.
The American ash is a tree that can live an average of 100 to 150 years. It is common throughout southern Quebec. This is a pioneer species that establishes itself as soon as a gap in the forest canopy opens up.
Once it reaches a trunk diameter of about 20 cm, the white ash begins to produce abundant, winged, and lightweight seeds that are dispersed up to 145 m by the autumn wind, for example.
Source: American Ash | Mount Royal Official Website (montreal.qc.ca)
Source: American Ash | Mount Royal Official Website (montreal.qc.ca)
