Fraxinus nigra

Leaves of black - ash

The black ash ( Fraxinus nigra) is a species of the genus of ash trees (Fraxinus ) in the family Oleaceae ( Oleaceae ).

Description

The black ash is reached a deciduous tree, the plant height to 25 meters. She has a gray, scaly flaking bark. The branches are round and bald. The winter buds are almost black in color. The dark green, odd pinnate leaves consist of seven to eleven serrate leaflets. The crushed leaves smell of elderberry.

The black ash is dioecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( dioecious ). The flowers are too many in a paniculate inflorescence. There are hermaphrodite and unisexual flowers that do not have Kron and sepals.

Occurrence

The distribution of black - ash is from the North American ash species farthest north. The northern boundary extends from Newfoundland to after Südostmanitoba, the southern border of Iowa on West Virginia to Delaware. It rises to altitudes of 1050 meters. The black ash occurs on wet soils in lowland forests, in bogs and swamps. It forms mixed forests with balsam fir, red maple, paper birch, American elm and Western arborvitae.

In Central Europe it is hardy and is occasionally grown as an ornamental tree.

Use

The wood of black ash has a dark brown core. It is less elastic, lighter and softer than the wood of red ash and white ash and is therefore less in demand. Made of thin, narrow strips of wood baskets and chairs are woven and made ​​barrels.