Latin Name: Fraxinus Americana
White Ash can reach a height of 80 feet with log diameters 2 to 3 feet
An upland tree found in northern hard wood forests

Color: The heartwood is light tan to dark brown and the sapwood is cream white.
Properties: Similar to the oaks only lighter in weight. It has bold moderately open grain that can be very straight, although there can be occasional wavy figuring and strong contrast in plain sawn boards.
Uses: Furniture, Baseball Bats, Flooring, and Canoe gunwales

There is a springiness to ash that can only be known by actually working with the material. Its strength in relation to its weight can actually be felt. It cuts, sands, machines, and finishes well and will mellow to a golden color with age. The silky feel and color, especially of the white sap wood makes it a beautiful wood in its raw state. In furniture the lightness of its color makes for a nice contrast when combined with other woods such as cherry and walnut. An interesting characteristic of the ash tree is that there is not a lot of moisture in it. That and the ease in which it splits makes it an ideal choice for firewood for those who have not cut enough for the winter. The truth in this can be found in an old poem. "Ash be green or Ash be dry the king shall warm his slippers by."

Ted Blachly