100 



Common Trees 



BLUE ASH 



Fraxinus quadrangulata, Michaux 



THE Blue Ash is perhaps the easiest of all our native ash 

 trees to recognize. At all seasons of the year it can be 

 identified by its four-sided twigs with four ridges projecting 

 out from the bark. On very vigorous shoots corky wings 

 extend out from these ridges. In summer its inner bark 

 yields a blue color- 

 ing if mixed with 

 water, whence its 

 name Blue Ash. 



The leaves are 

 opposite, greenish- 

 yellow, compound 

 with 7 to 11 leaf- 

 lets borne on very 

 short stalks or 

 sometimes stalk- 

 less. The veins, 

 midribs and leaflet 

 stalks are perma- 

 nently pubescent. 

 The rest of the 

 leaf is generally 

 smooth. 



The fruit is 

 winged to the base. 

 The wing com- 

 pletely surrounds 

 the seed. It re- 

 sembles that of the 

 Black Ash. 



BLUE ASH 



The bark is 

 light gray, scaly 

 or flaky, not fissured. It is similar to that of Black Ash. 



The wood is intermediate in quality between that of 

 White Ash and Black Ash and is generally sold as White 

 Ash. 



The Blue Ash ranges from southern Ontario to Iowa and 

 south to northern Alabama and Arkansas. It is common 

 on the limestone soils of southwestern Ohio, becommg rare 

 north of the latitude of Columbus and east of Adams and 

 Licking counties. Limestone hills, intervales and uplands 

 arc its favorite home. This tree reaches a height of 100 feet 

 and a diameter of 3 feet, but is becoming too scarce to be 

 of great commercial importance. 



