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An ash can be any of many different tree species from three very distinct families, but is most commonly, a tree of the genus Fraxinus.
In North America, the name ash is also given to species of Sorbus, more accurately known as Rowans and Whitebeams. In Australia, many common eucalyptus species are called ash because they too produce hard, fine-grained timber. The best known of these is the Mountain Ash, one of the tallest trees in the world.
The Genus Fraxinus is in the olive family (Family Oleaceae). Ashes are usually medium to large trees. Most have pinnately-compound, opposite leaves. Seeds are borne in keys, a type of fruit known as a samara.
The White Ash is a particularly important timber tree in eastern North America, and is the source of wood for quality wooden baseball bats. The Green Ash is widely planted as a street tree in the United States. The inner bark of the Blue Ash has been used as a source for a blue dye.
Ashes of eastern North America
- Fraxinus americana White Ash
- Fraxinus caroliniana Water Ash
- Fraxinus nigra Black Ash
- Fraxinus pennsylvanica Green Ash (also includes Red Ash)
- Fraxinus profunda or Fraxinus tomentosa Pumpkin Ash
- Fraxinus quadrangulata Blue Ash
Ashes of western and southwestern North America
- Fraxinus anomala Single-leaf Ash
- Fraxinus cuspidata Fragrant Ash
- Fraxinus dipetala Two-petal Ash
- Fraxinus dubia
- Fraxinus gooddingii Goodding's Ash
- Fraxinus greggii Gregg's Ash
- Fraxinus latifolia Oregon Ash
- Fraxinus papillosa Chihuahua Ash
- Fraxinus purpusii
- Fraxinus rufescens
- Fraxinus texensis Mountain Ash or Texas Ash
- Fraxinus uhdei Shamel Ash
- Fraxinus velutina Velvet Ash
Ashes of the Western Palearctic (Europe, north Africa and southwest Asia)
- Fraxinus angustifolia Narrow-leafed Ash
- Fraxinus excelsior Common Ash
- Fraxinus holotricha
- Fraxinus ornus Manna Ash or Flowering Ash
- Fraxinus oxycarpa (F. angustifolia var. oxycarpa) Caucasian Ash
- Fraxinus pallisiae Pallis' Ash
- Fraxinus xanthoxyloides Afghan Ash
Ashes of the Eastern Palearctic (central & eastern Asia)
- Fraxinus apertisquamifera
- Fraxinus baroniana
- Fraxinus bungeana Bunge's Ash
- Fraxinus chinensis Chinese Ash or Korean Ash
- Fraxinus chiisanensis
- Fraxinus floribunda Himalayan Manna Ash
- Fraxinus griffithii Griffith's Ash
- Fraxinus hubeiensis
- Fraxinus lanuginosa
- Fraxinus longicuspis Japanese Ash
- Fraxinus malacophylla
- Fraxinus mandshurica Manchurian Ash
- Fraxinus mariesii Chinese Flowering Ash
- Fraxinus micrantha
- Fraxinus paxiana
- Fraxinus platypoda
- Fraxinus raibocarpa
- Fraxinus sieboldiana Japanese Flowering Ash
- Fraxinus spaethiana Späth's Ash
- Fraxinus trifoliata
Cultural aspects
In Norse mythology, the World Tree, Yggdrasil, was an ash tree, and the man, Ask, was formed from an ash tree (the first woman was made from alder). Elsewhere in Europe, snakes were said to be repelled by ash leaves or a circle drawn by an ash branch. Irish folklore claims that shadows from an ash tree damage crops. In Cheshire, it is said that ash could be used to cure warts or rickets.
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