Oregon Ash

Oregon ash is a moisture-tolerant hardwood native to lowland valleys and floodplains of the Pacific Northwest. It forms open canopies with upright, gray-barked trunks and compound leaves that turn muted yellow in fall. The species is well adapted to seasonal inundation and clay soils, making it a keystone species in forested wetlands and riparian forests where it provides shade, supports cavity-nesting birds, and stabilizes streambanks. Its lightweight wood has limited commercial value, but ecologically it’s a key component of bottomland succession. It is expected to become extirpated in Oregon over the next few decades due to the spread of emerald ash borer.