Green Ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanica · hardwood · Eastern North America · moderate movement
- Janka hardness 1,200 lbfred oak ≈ 1,290 lbf
- Density ≈ 39 lb/ft³specific gravity 0.56 at 12% MC
- Shrinkage — tangential 7.1%flatsawn width, green → ovendry
- Shrinkage — radial 4.6%quartersawn width
- T/R ratio 1.5 : 1higher = more cupping in flatsawn stock
Shop notes Sold interchangeably with white ash in most lumberyards; slightly lighter, with the same open grain and honest working manners.
Seasonal movement at a glance
Width change for green ash across a typical indoor year — 6% moisture content in the heated winter to 12% in a humid summer:
| Board width | Flatsawn | Quartersawn |
|---|---|---|
| 6″ | 3/32″ (0.091″) | 1/16″ (0.059″) |
| 12″ | 3/16″ (0.183″) | 1/8″ (0.118″) |
| 24″ | 3/8″ (0.365″) | 1/4″ (0.237″) |
| 36″ | 9/16″ (0.548″) | 11/32″ (0.355″) |
Run your own numbers
Different width, different climate swing — the calculator below is preset to green ash:
Typical swings:
Green Ash questions
How much does green ash move with the seasons?
A 12″-wide flatsawn green ash board moves about 3/16″ across a typical indoor swing from 6% to 12% moisture content; quartersawn, about 1/8″. Its tangential shrinkage is 7.1% and radial 4.6% (green to ovendry) — a moderate-movement wood.
How hard is green ash?
Green Ash rates about 1,200 lbf on the Janka scale — in red oak’s hardness neighborhood (red oak is roughly 1,290 lbf). Density runs about 39 lb/ft³ at indoor moisture levels.
Is green ash good for wide panels and tabletops?
Yes, with normal precautions: its 1.5:1 tangential-to-radial ratio is unusually balanced, so panels stay flatter than most. Still fasten solid tops so they can move across their width.
Similar species
Black Oak · Black Maple · Oregon Ash · Yellow Birch · Iroko · Chestnut Oak
Shrinkage, specific gravity, and hardness from the Wood Handbook, FPL-GTR-282 (2021 edition), USDA Forest Products Laboratory (public domain). Values are species averages — individual boards vary with growth conditions and how they were dried.