Black Ash Tree Wood. Minnesota has more Ash trees than any other state with nearly one million acres of Black Ash mostly in the central and northeastern part of the state where lowland forest types are abundant. The main types of ash wood you will come across in building construction and for general human use is wood from the white ash Fraxinus americana and the black ash Fraxinus nigra.
Black ash wood does not have fibers that connect the growth rings together making it very easy to strip the wood apart into flexible and sturdy pieces. Black Ash has a rich history in the Great North Woods. This is a result of the very large early wood pores in the growth rings of this species.
Its not quite as strong or dense as the related White Ash Fraxinus americana.
The wood has been used to make cabinets veneer baskets barrel hoops and the seats of chairs. In addition to the importance given to him by the legend of Yggdrasil ash tree has had very different symbolic powers and meaning over time. They have many different names for the black ash tree including basket ash brown ash swamp ash hoop ash or water ash. The first is between White Ash Fraxinus americana and Black Ash Fraxinus nigra.
