Ash, White

COLOUR/APPEARANCE

The heartwood is a light to medium brown colour. Sapwood can be very wide, and tends to be a beige or light brown; not always clearly or sharply demarcated from heartwood

GRAIN/TEXTURE

Has a medium to coarse texture similar to oak. The grain is almost always straight and regular, though sometimes moderately curly or figured boards can be found

ENDGRAIN

Ring-porous; large earlywood pores 2-4 rows wide, small latewood pores solitary and radial multiples; tyloses common; parenchyma banded (marginal), paratracheal parenchyma around latewood pores vasicentric, winged and confluent; narrow rays, spacing normal.

ROT RESISTANCE

Heartwood is rated as perishable, or only slightly durable in regard to decay. Ash is also not resistant to insect attack

WORKABILITY

Produces good results with hand or machine tools. Responds well to steam bending. Glues, stains, and finishes well.

ODOR

Can have a distinct, moderately unpleasant smell when being worked.

ALLERGIES/TOXICITY

Ash in the Fraxinus genus has been reported to cause skin irritation, and a decrease in lung function.

PRICING/AVAILABILITY

Ash is among the least expensive utility hardwoods available domestically; it should compare similarly to oak in terms of price

SUSTAINABILITY

This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.