Click on the images help you identify an American mountain ash.
Form
Small tree, sometimes 20 to 30 feet tall, with a trunk diameter of 4 to 12 inches. Spreading, slender branches create a narrow, round-topped crown.
Bark
Smooth and light gray, irregularly broken by small, flat, plate-like scales.
Leaf
Leaves are alternate on the stem and about 6 to 8 inches long. They are pinnately compound, with 13 to 17 leaflets, each 2 to 4 inches long, pointed, and sharply toothed. Leaves are bright green above and turn bright yellow in fall.
Fruit (seed)
Fruit is a bright red-orange, rounded berry about one-quarter inch in diameter. It has a thin layer of sour flesh. The fruit gives the tree an ornamental appearance.
Range
Found scattered in the woods of northern Minnesota as far south as Pine and Mille Lacs counties. Best development occurs in northeastern Minnesota. Numerous along the edges of swamps. Grows best in moist locations but thrives fairly well in drier areas and on thinner soils.
Wood uses
The wood is light, soft, and weak, pale brown, with light-colored sapwood. Slow growth produces a very close grain. It has no commercial value except for ornamental purposes and for the medicinal qualities of its inner bark.