White Ash (A Field Guide for TSA Campus Woods)

White Ash

Fraxinus americana

Summary ⁷

Fraxinus americana (white ash or American ash) is a species of ash tree native to eastern and central North America. It is found in mesophytic hardwood forests from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota, south to northern Florida, and southwest to eastern Texas. Isolated populations have also been found in western Texas, Wyoming and Colorado, and the species is reportedly naturalized in Hawaii.

Description ⁸

This tree is 50-100' tall at maturity, forming a long stout trunk and a variable crown

Habitat: cover types ⁹

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

More info for the term: swamp

   19 Gray birch - red maple
   20 White pine - northern red oak - red maple
   21 Eastern white pine
   22 White pine - hemlock
   23 Eastern hemlock
   24 Hemlock - yellow birch
   25 Sugar maple - beech - yellow birch
   26 Sugar maple - basswood
   27 Sugar maple
   28 Black cherry - maple
   33 Red spruce - balsam fir
   39 Black ash - American elm - red maple
   42 Bur oak
   52 White oak - black oak - northern red oak
   53 White oak
   55 Northern red oak
   57 Yellow poplar
   58 Yellow poplar - eastern hemlock
   59 Yellow poplar - white oak - northern red oak
   60 Beech - sugar maple
   63 Cottonwood
   64 Sassafras - persimmon
   80 Loblolly pine - shortleaf pine
   82 Loblolly pine - hardwood
   87 Sweet gum - yellow poplar
   91 Swamp chestnut oak - cherrybark oak

Associated forest cover ¹⁰

White ash is a major component in the forest cover type White Pine-Northern Red Oak-Red Maple (Society of American Foresters Type 20) and is a common associate in 25 other forest cover types (4):

19 Gray Birch-Red Maple
21 Eastern White Pine
22 White Pine-Hemlock
23 Eastern Hemlock
24 Hemlock-Yellow Birch
25 Sugar Maple-Beech-Yellow Birch
26 Sugar Maple-Basswood
27 Sugar Maple
28 Black Cherry-Maple
33 Red Spruce-Balsam Fir
39 Black Ash-American Elm-Red Maple
42 Bur Oak
52 White Oak-Black Oak-Northern Red Oak
53 White Oak
55 Northern Red Oak
57 Yellow-Poplar
58 Yellow-Poplar-Eastern Hemlock
59 Yellow-Poplar-White Oak-Northern Red Oak
60 Beech-Sugar Maple
63 Cottonwood
64 Sassafras-Persimmon
80 Loblolly Pine--Shortleaf Pine
82 Loblolly Pine-Hardwood
87 Sweetgum-Yellow-Poplar
91 Swamp Chestnut Oak-Cherrybark Oak

Some of the primary associates of white ash include eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), northern red oak (Quercus rubra), white oak (Q. alba), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), red maple (A. rubrum), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), black cherry (Prunus serotina), American basswood (Tilia americana), eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), American elm (Ulmus americana), and yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). Understory shrubs and small trees frequently found growing with ash are downy serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), pawpaw (Asimina triloba), American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), witch-hazel (Hamamelis uirginiana), eastern hophornbeam (Ostrya uirginiana), and mapleleaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium).

Damaging agents ¹¹

Ash decline (also called ash dieback) is the most serious problem affecting white ash. Especially prevalent in the northeastern part of the tree's range, this disease complex occurs from the Great Plains to the Atlantic coast between 39 and 45 degrees north latitude (10). The disease, ash yellows, caused by mycoplasma-like organisms (MLO), has been found associated with most of the dying trees where ash decline is conspicuous (9). However, since not all dying trees are infected with MLO, ash decline is thought to result from multiple causes. Drought-weakened trees may be invaded by cankercausing, branch-girdling fungi such as Fusicoccum spp. and Cytophorna pruinosa. Additional stresses that may be involved in the etiology of ash decline are air pollution, leaf-spotting fungi, and viruses. Control recommendations are based primarily on maintaining good tree vigor (6).

Air pollution damages white ash. It is rated as sensitive to ozone and is severely injured by stack gases from soft coal consumption and from industrial processes, both of which emit sulfur dioxide.

Two leaf spot fungi, Mycosphaerella effigurata and M. fraxinicola, are common in nurseries and in the forest and cause premature defoliation of white ash. Anthracnose (Gloeosporium aridum) also causes premature defoliation and is most serious following exceptionally wet springs. An ash strain of tobacco ringspot virus causes chlorotic areas on the leaves and has been associated with ash dieback.

A rust (Puccinia peridermiospora) distorts petioles and small twigs. Cankers caused by Nectria galligena may cause branches to break but are rarely found on main stems. Heartwood rots may be caused by Perenniporia fraxinophilus, Phellinus igniarius, Pleurotus ostreatus, Tyromyces spraguei, and Laetiporus sulphureus. These organisms usually enter through wounds or broken branches, mainly on older trees.

Of 26 species of nematodes reported from the roots or root zones of white ash, only one, Meloidogyne ovalis, has been associated with root injury. However, nematodes can be vectors for the ringspot virus (5).

Of the insect pests, the oystershell scale (Lepidosaphes ulmi) is the most serious. Severe infestations cause yellowing of the leaves, and if prolonged, may kill some trees. The cottony maple scale (Pulvinaria innumerabilis) also attacks white ash.

The brownheaded ash sawfly (Tomostethus multicinctus) and the blackheaded ash sawfly (Tethida cordigera) are defoliators that are of concern mainly on ornamental trees. The forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) and the green fruitworm (Lithophane antennata) feed on forest trees and occasionally cause complete defoliation within small geographic areas. The larvae of sphingid moths-Sphinx chersis (the great ash sphinx), S. kalmiae, and Ceratornia undulosa-feed on the leaves of white ash, as does the notched-wing geometer (Ennomos magnaria). The larvae of two leaf roller moths, Sparganothis dilutocostana and S. folgidipenna, also feed on ash.

The ash bark beetle (Leperisinus aculeatus) may cause slight injury when the adults bore into the bark to hibernate. The ash borer (Podosesia syringae) may seriously damage young shade and shelterbelt trees. The ash and privet borer (Tylonotus bimaculatus) attacks and kills branches, especially on older trees. Both the red-headed ash borer (Neoclytus acurninatus) andthe banded ash borer (N. caprea) colonize cut logs and dead or dying trees (1).

White ash seedlings are easily damaged or destroyed by deer and cattle browsing. Rabbits, beaver, and porcupine occasionally use the bark of young trees for food.

Broad scale impacts of plant response to fire ¹²

The Research Project Summaries Effects of surface fires in a mixed red and

eastern white pine stand in Michigan and Early postfire effects of a prescribed

fire in the southern Appalachians of North Carolina provides information on

prescribed fire and postfire response of plant community species, including white ash,

that was not available when this species review was originally written.

Other uses and values ¹³

More info for the term: tree

The juice from the leaves of white ash can be applied topically to
mosquito bites for relief of swelling and itching [17]. White ash has a
specialized use as a prophylactic measure for snake bite. If one
carries the crushed leaves in his/her pockets the odor has been "proved"
offensive to rattlesnakes [27].

Open-grown white ash is useful as a shade and ornamental tree [17].

Sources and Credits

(c) Ross, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/13757887@N00/53880594
(c) Richard Webb, Bugwood.org, USA, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Fraxinus_americana_fall.jpg/460px-Fraxinus_americana_fall.jpg
(c) Keith Kanoti, Maine Forest Service, USA, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Fraxinus_americana_seeds.jpg/460px-Fraxinus_americana_seeds.jpg
(c) Steven J. Baskauf, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://bioimages.vanderbilt.edu/baskauf/12462
(c) Keith Kanoti, Maine Forest Service, USA, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Fraxinus_americana_bark.jpg/460px-Fraxinus_americana_bark.jpg
(c) Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Fraxinus_americana_buds.jpg/460px-Fraxinus_americana_buds.jpg
(c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraxinus_americana
(c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/29449935
Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/24641246
(c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/22778531
(c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/22778539
Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/24641263
Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/24641253

More Info

Range Map

iNat Map

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White Ash

Summary 7

Description 8

Habitat: cover types 9

Associated forest cover 10

Damaging agents 11

Broad scale impacts of plant response to fire 12

Other uses and values 13