Ash Tree Identification

Know how to identify ash trees

The first step to protecting your property from emerald ash borer is determining whether you have ash trees on your property. Key attributes of ash trees include the following:

• Branches and buds grow in pairs, directly opposite each other, rather than alternating on a stem.
• Leaves are compound, which means multiple leaflets occur on a common stalk, and typically have 5 to 9 leaflets. The exception is the single-leaf ash (Fraxinus anomala), which typically has a single simple leaf with slightly serrated edges.
• Leaflets are smooth or finely toothed along the edges.
• Mature bark displays diamond-shaped ridges.
• Seeds on female trees are paddle shaped.

To see these and other features of ash trees, click or tap the images below. Or watch the video to have a CSFS urban forester walk you through ash tree identification.