Ash is a group of hardwood trees found in North America, Europe, and Asia. Some species (kinds) of ash are commercially valuable. Ashes may be planted as shade trees to prevent soil erosion. White ash and red ash are common in the Eastern United States. Black ash is found in the Northeastern states.
Ash leaves and branches develop in pairs. Each leaf has from 5 to 11 pointed leaflets. Small male and female flowers usually grow on separate trees. The keys (winged fruit) look like canoe paddles. They develop late in the season and fall to the ground in autumn.
Ash wood is hard, strong, and stiff. The wood is used mainly for shovel, hoe, and rake handles and for baseball bats. Ash is also used for furniture, oars, and skis.
A major pest of ash trees is the emerald ash borer, an Asian beetle that first spread to North America on ships during the late 1900’s. Ash borer larvae (young) feed on the inner bark of the tree, eventually killing it. Emerald ash borers have killed tens of millions of ash trees in North America.
Certain other trees and shrubs are called ash, but they are not true ashes. They include mountain ashes and prickly-ashes.
