Basswood VS Ash

[Aaron Grolbert]

I am having some difficulty in deciphering the difference in two trees when i look on Google Images.......after I looked at 20-30 of them both species look Identical. any advice...?


Do you have any Tree ID websites that are your favorites...?

 

[Woody912]

I am having some difficulty in deciphering the difference in two trees when i look on Google Images.......after I looked at 20-30 of them both species look Identical. any advice...?


Do you have any Tree ID websites that are your favorites...?

Basswood probably does not have as deep of fissures in the bark, the growth rings in the wood are not well defined at all. Ash buds are pretty blunt on the terminal end but I'm not sure about basswood. The diamond shape in the ash bark in probably my first identifier

 

[treeslayer2003]

ash and poplar bark look similer here, I can tell the diff but if have doubts a look at the top limbs tells the tale. different shape and angle of growth. no bass wood here, may or may not help you.

 

[1270d]

Ash has a tighter bark pattern usually. Also basswood likes to grow in clumps, ash not so much (at least in my experience)

 

[HuskStihl]

Ash gives a better tone

 

[ihookem]

Basswood cuts like butter

 

[Twindad]

The VA Tech dendrology site can be pretty helpful:

http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/idit.htm

If you can see the smaller limbs and twigs on the trees, ash will have opposite leaf/twig arrangement while basswood will have alternate arrangement. Opposite leaf arrangement means that leaves and small twigs emerge directly across (opposite) from one another. And, as mentioned above, ash typically has a diamond shaped bark pattern.

 

[066blaster]

On basswood the smaller limbs have a smoother bark. Or if list less then 8 inches in diameter the whole tree is smooth.