# Help me confirm a tree's identity, probably white ash. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 4, 2016, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-confirm-a-trees-identity-probably-white-ash/756453 "2016-06-04T01:28:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-confirm-a-trees-identity-probably-white-ash/756453/1 "2016-06-04T01:28:30Z")
We are currently in the process of removing a tree that partially fell on and damaged my mother in law’s roof. I think the tree is probably white ash, but I’m not sure. The sticking point is that the leaves consist of five leaflets. It does have opposite branching leaves. Bark is diamond shaped. This tree is about 25 to 30 feet tall. Another tree that was planted from a cutting of this tree is young and has smooth bark. The websites I’ve seen say white ash has seven leaflets. I can’t find any information on similar trees that have only five. What do you all think. Is this likely a 5 leaflet variant of a white ash tree or some other type of ash tree? Edited to add that this tree is growing in a typical suburban yard in south Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-confirm-a-trees-identity-probably-white-ash/756453/2 "2016-06-04T01:56:51Z")
5 is a known number of leaflets for the white and green ash. The ridges in the bark forming diamond shapes sounds like the white or green ash. White and green ash are naturally occurring in Texas, and so would likely thrive in a residential area in Texas/NM/Arizona,etc But you’ll have to work off pictures to get a better, they tell a 1000 words… [http://treedoctor.anr.msu.edu/ash/ashtree\_id.html](http://treedoctor.anr.msu.edu/ash/ashtree_id.html) ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-confirm-a-trees-identity-probably-white-ash/756453/3 "2016-06-04T04:14:06Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > 5 is a known number of leaflets for the white and green ash. > The ridges in the bark forming diamond shapes sounds like the white or green ash. > > White and green ash are naturally occurring in Texas, and so would likely thrive in a residential area in Texas/NM/Arizona,etc > But you’ll have to work off pictures to get a better, they tell a 1000 words… > > [http://treedoctor.anr.msu.edu/ash/ashtree\_id.html](http://treedoctor.anr.msu.edu/ash/ashtree_id.html) It is definitely a white ash. Thank you for your help 🙂