Fraxinus americana, the white ash or American ash, is a species of ash tree native to eastern and central North America. The species is native to mesophytic hardwood forests from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota, south to northern Florida, and southwest to eastern Texas. Isolated populations have also been found in western Texas, Wyoming, and Colorado, and the species is reportedly naturalized in Hawaii. There are an estimated 8 billion ash trees in the United States – the majority being the white ash trees and the green ash trees. White Ash has excellent shock resistance, and along with hickory, it is one of the most commonly used hardwoods for tool handles in North America—particularly in shovels and hammers where toughness and impact resistance is important. When stained, ash can look very similar to oak, although oaks have much wider rays, which are visible on all wood surfaces—even on flatsawn surfaces, where they appear as short, thin brown lines between the growth rings. Ashes lack these conspicuous rays.

Source – The Wood Database