An ash commonly refers to trees of the genus Fraxinus (from Latin "ash tree") in the olive family Oleaceae. The ashes are usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The leaves are opposite (rarely in whorls of three), and mostly pinnately-compound, simple in a few species. The seeds, popularly known as keys or helicopter seeds, are a type of fruit known as a samara. The genus Fraxinus contains 45-65 species world-wide.
The Common North American Ash Species
Dormant Identification:
Has shield-shaped leaf scar; has tall, pointed bud; has no stupules; has pitchfork-like limb tips; has long and narrow clustered winged seed; has continuous bundle scars inside leaf scar looks like "smiley face".
Leaves:
opposite ,
pinnately
compound , without
teeth.
Bark: gray and furrowed.
Fruit: a single
winged
key hanging in clusters.
ID Glossary
