White Ash is a fairly common overstory tree that occurs in a wide range of habitats. The leaves are whitish (glaucous) beneath and often more rounded than these.

The samaras (fruits) have long, narrow wings.

Madison Co., NC 5/11/08.

Very similar to Green Ash (F. pennsylvanica), which has green leaf undersides and occurs only in wet habitats. The easiest way to tell the two species apart is to look at the leaf scars -- in Green Ash the lateral bud is above the leaf scar; in White Ash the bud sits within the U-shaped scar.

Flowers appear in early spring.

Durham, NC 3/28/07.

Durham, NC 3/28/07.

The pale bark is often broken into alligator-back squares.

Durham, NC 3/28/07.

The bark of larger trees usually has diamond-shaped intersecting ridges.