White ash is the largest and most valuable of the ash species in Iowa. The leaves are 8 to 12 inches in length, with individual leaflets 2 to 6 inches in length. The fruit is a paddle-shaped samara, which often persists on the tree into winter.
White ash is native over much of eastern Iowa.
It is native to the Cedar River in northern Iowa, to the Des Moines River and its principal tributaries in central Iowa and to the Missouri River in southern Iowa. It is not found in pure stands but most often represents a minor component of these other forest types in Iowa. It sometimes is a major component of the young age-classes of a stand because it is more tolerant of shade than the oak species. White ash wood is hard, heavy, tough and relatively straight grained used for a variety of products including baseball bats, tool handles, pallets, furniture, and many specialty uses including tennis rackets, skis, snowshoes, paddles. In Iowa it also has a high value for fuelwood because of its high density.