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MOUNTAIN ASH

Sorbus spp.

Sorbus spp. of the family Rosaceae. These species are not related to "true" ash (genus Fraxinus of the family Oleaceae) as can easily be seen by comparing the end grain update shots of the two genera.

Species include the following (and possibly others I'm not aware of):

my samples:
NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K)
colors will vary under other lighting conditions


both sides of a sample plank of American mountain ash / Sorbus americana --- HUGE enlargements are present.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of American mountain ash / Sorbus americana --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of American mountain ash / Sorbus americana --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of European mountain ash / Sorbus aucuparia --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. In addition to Europe, this species also grows in America where it is often called American mountain ash even though it is not a true ash.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of European mountain ash / Sorbus aucuparia --- HUGE enlargements are present. In addition to Europe, this species also grows in America where it is often called American mountain ash even though it is not a true ash.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

v
both sides of a sample plank of European mountain ash / Sorbus aucuparia --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of European mountain ash (aka whitebeam) / Sorbus aria --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of Sikta mountain ash / Sorbus sitchensis --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of showy mountain ash / Sorbus decora --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of mountain ash / Sorbus decora --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

web pics:
I note that most Internet pics of mountain ash are of the Australian (Eucalyptus) wood, not the American wood


mountain ash / Sorbus spp. end grain


log end listed as mountain ash / Sorbus aucuparia


plank listed as mountain ash / Sorbus americana


plank with dry and wet areas, listed as servicetree / Sorbus torminalis


another plank with wet and dry sections, listed as elsbeere which is another common name for some Sorbus species that are also called mountain ash.


plank listed as elsberre / Sorbus torminalis


planks listed as elsbeere which is another common name for some Sorbus species that are also called mountain ash.


veneer, all from the same vendor and all listed as elsbeere. I assume that this is all the same stuff and one of the colors is wrong (or possibly BOTH colors are wrong)


mountain ash bowl. This was not listed as spalted but should have been since it clearly has white rot and that is a form of spalting