Black Ash
(Wide & Flat: Opposite Arrangement) |
| Sometimes called Swamp ash, this medium-sized tree reaches 40'-50'
in cool swamps, wet woods and bottomlands throughout Pennsylvania. The wood is
generally lighter in weight and weaker than White ash, but is used for the same
purposes. Baskets can be woven from slats produced by pounding a wet block of
wood until it separates along the annual growth rings. Wood ducks, gamebirds and
songbirds and many mammals eat the seeds. Whitetail deer browse the twigs and
young foliage. |
Fraxinus nigra Marshall
enlarge
|
| Leaves |
| Opposite, compound with 7 to 11 leaflets each 3"-5"
long, only the end leaflet stalked, margins toothed, dark green above, lighter
green beneath with some rusty hairs. |
| Twigs |
| Stout, gray or red-brown with many pale lenticels, somewhat
hairy at first, becoming smooth, end buds dark brown to black and pointed, adjoining
leaf scars are not notched at the top, nearly circular, with raised margins. The
first pair of lateral buds are some distance below the end bud. |
| Fruit |
| Resembling White ash but is usually
shorter and slightly wider, 1"-1¾" long and 3/8" wide. |
| Bark |
| Gray, relatively smooth, later becoming corky-ridged and
shallowly furrowed or scaly with frequent knobs on the trunk. |
|
CONTACT CFO | TERMS & CONDITIONS | ADVERTISE ON CFO
