Video:How to Identify a Green Ash Tree

Transcript:How to Identify a Green Ash Tree

Hi, my name is Henning von Schmeling. I'm with the Chattahoochee Nature Center and this is a tree identification segment for About.com.

Green Ash Bark

We are here at the nature center this morning looking at a green ash tree that is right behind me. They have beautiful bark on them. Long, skinny, deep furrows on it going up. Kind of a grayish color. But the easiest way to tell a green ash from other trees is if you look at their individual leaves. So when you look at a branch, and I picked a branch earlier, and you look at the branch right here, you look at the leaves it's a compound leaf.

Green Ash Tree Leaves

So each leaf, this is what I'm holding right here, this is one leaf that has compound leaves on it or leaflets. So here's a good example of one. We'll take that off. If you look at it, they have two, four, six, eight and nine. Green ash can have anywhere from five to nine compound leaflets like this. Another way that you can tell the difference between green ash and other trees is if you look at the branches. Its easier to see it from the backside here.

Branches on a Green Ash Tree

The branch, this is the main branch coming off, and then they will have pairs of branches coming off of the main branch. This is very unusual for trees to do. Very easy to tell, so if you ever find a tree, don't even look at the bark, just look at the leaves. If it's a compound leaf, and it has opposite branches like this, you are more than likely going to have a green ash in your yard.

For more information about trees, and green ash in particular, please visit About.com.