Tree Description:
A medium-sized tree to 45 feet tall and a trunk to 2 feet in diameter, with an oval crown.
Range/Site Description:
From the Dallas area to Central Texas and west to the Edwards Plateau, on rocky limestone hillsides, bluffs, and ridges.
Leaf:
Opposite, compound, 5" to 8" long, with 5 oval or round leaflets arranged pinnately; leaflets are long-stalked and 1" to 3" long. Leaf color is dark green on top, much lighter below, usually turning brown in early fall.
Flower:
Male and female flowers borne on separate trees. Female flowers in loose clusters appearing with the new leaves; male flowers appear as dark, purplish clusters near the end of the twigs, often before the leaves.
Fruit:
A slender, pointed seed enclosed by a flattened wing, or samara, about 1" long and up to 0.25" wide; fruits are borne in loose clusters connected by short stalks.
Bark:
Gray, with brown or black blotches, furrowed, with the interlocking flattened ridges common to the ashes on older trunks.
Wood:
Wood is light colored, with brown heartwood, and has been used for firewood and flooring.
Similar Species:
Carolina ash (Fraxinus caroliniana) is confined to wet areas and streambanks in East Texas; Gregg ash (F. greggii) has small leaves and is found only in riparian areas of far West Texas.
Interesting Facts:
