Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra) - Black Ash Trees

Shape and Distribution
Black ash grows to a height of 40 to 70 feet and has a trunk diameter of up to two feet. The stout, straight, upright branches form an open, narrow or slightly rounded crown.
Black ash is present in the northern two thirds of Illinois, where it grows in swamps and bottomlands in cold wet soils. It is most common along streams and in swampy woods where it occurs frequently with American elm.

Interesting Facts
Black ash is a slow growing, commercially unimportant tree. Black ash is also called Hoop or Basket ash because the pounded wood splits along growth rings and the sheets of wood are cut into thin strips for weaving baskets, chair seats, or barrels.

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