How to Compare Bark Roughness on Green Ash & White Ash Trees
The green ash tree (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) is native to the United States, a towering shade tree that grows approximately 70 feet tall, with a canopy spread just as wide. The serrated leaves and finely-toothed and lightly dusted with hairs, growing bright green until turning yellow and dropping in the fall. The white ash tree (Fraxinus americana), which is well-known for its tough wood, is also found throughout the US. White ash and green ash trees look very similar. Learn to identify the two by comparing bark roughness for each tree. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Examine the bar of the unknown ash tree by touch and sight. The texture of the bark may be different depending upon the season in which your exam takes place. For instance, in summer the green ash tree's bark will be medium-rough to the touch. In the winter, the bark of the green ash is much more rough.
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Study the color. Green ash bark appears grayish on older, well-established branches. White ash bark is lighter in color and more brown in tone than green ash bark.
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Observe the ridge pattern by touch and feel. Green ash bark has a diamond-shaped ridge pattern. In very old green ash trees, the bark may feel very rough and scaly to the touch. White ash trees also grow with a diamond-shaped pattern when fully mature, and in older trees the difference in bark between the two trees are impossible to detect.
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Study young white and green ash trees to note the bark differences. Young white ash trees have much smoother bark that will not flake the way green ash bark does.
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Press gently against the bark. White ash is a prized hardwood, and you will feel its stiffness when pressing against the trunk. Green ash bark has a little more give to it, a bit more softness than white ash.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not cut away bark and branches while comparing ash tree bark, as this may damage the trees.
