Leaf guide › Compound leaves
White ash
Fraxinus americana
An unusual purple-maroon fall color, from a tree under threat.
- Fall color
- PurpleYellow
- Turns
- Mid-season
- Leaves
- Opposite (in pairs)
- Size
- 8–12 in. long overall
- Found in
- New England & New York, Great Lakes & North Woods, Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest
How to recognize it
- Compound leaf with five to nine leaflets, usually seven.
- Leaflets in pairs with one at the tip, each on a short stalk.
- Whole leaves grow in pairs across from each other on the twig.
- Bark has a tight diamond-shaped pattern.
Where to find it
Look for it in rich, moist hardwood forests and along streets and in yards, though many have been lost to the emerald ash borer.
Easy to confuse with
Shagbark hickory
Leaves alternate along the twig, with usually five leaflets and a much larger one at the tip.
Green ash
Similar leaves, but usually turns plain yellow.
Worth knowing
Only a handful of trees grow their leaves in pairs. Remember “MAD Horse”: maple, ash, dogwood, and horse chestnut. The emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle, has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in North America. Here’s more on what’s happening to ash trees.
Common questions
What color does white ash turn in fall?
White ash is known for an unusual purple to maroon fall color, though some trees turn yellow instead.
When does white ash change color?
Around the middle of the local season, and it’s among the first trees to drop its leaves.
How can you tell white ash from shagbark hickory?
Shagbark hickory: Leaves alternate along the twig, with usually five leaflets and a much larger one at the tip. White ash: Compound leaf with five to nine leaflets, usually seven.
Where does white ash grow?
In the lower 48, look for it in New England & New York, the Great Lakes & North Woods, the Appalachians, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest.
See where the color is peaking today.
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