Ash at Lions Park

At Lions Park, there's a grassy area with several trees growing. While many of the trees along the path appear to be wild, these trees in the middle of the grass must be cultivated. I saw a red maple, two sugar maples, and two ash trees. I took these photos of one of the ashes. How does one describe the shape of an ash bud? I think it's like a Russian dome or a Hershey's kiss. The twigs of this ash tree had noticeable end buds. I tried to get a picture, but the pictures did not come out very well.

Here you can see that the leaves are opposite.

Some leaves had seven leaflets.

Others only had five.

What kind of ash is it? When I look through the ashes in Sibley Guide to Trees, it seems to be it must be white ash or green ash.  What are the differences?  According to the book, they are:

• White ash leaves are about 12 inches long, while green ash leaves tend to be about 9 inches long.  I'd say these are probably closer to 9 inches.
• White ash leaves have whitish underside, while green ash leaves have greener underside.  The second photo of a bud shows some leaf undersides, and I'd say it's more green than white.
• White ash twigs are smooth, while new green ash twigs can be woolly.  I'll have to check that next time I go.
• White ash may have U-shaped leaf scars, while green ash leaf scars are not U-shaped.  Another thing to check next time I go.
• Bark of young trees is smooth and grayish on white ash, and pinkish with dark joints on green ash. You can see trunks in the last two photos.  Are they gray? Is there any pinkish to them?
• White ash leaflet stalks are long or short.  Green ash leaflet stalks are often winged to base.  I'd say these look more winged to base.
• Fall color is a difference, though that doesn't help now. Green ash will be yellow, while white ash may be yellow, maroon, or purple.

I'd say this is probably a green ash.  I think the trees in my neighborhood are green ash too.  I know they turn yellow in the fall.  

But the book warns with regard to white ash and green ash, "The distinguishing features are small and variable....Many trees are intermediate."

Red tipped needles

There are some small evergreen trees at the top of the hill between the library and Amos Eaton.  I think they might be some sort of firs because the needles are flat.  They never seem to have any cones.  Now the tips are reddish brown.  Why could that be? An internet search suggests that they could be too dry.  It also mentioned afflictions called needle necrosis and needle cast, but neither of those seems to match up with what I'm seeing here.

Hawthorn and dogwood flowers

The hawthorn flowers are pretty much over now.

It seems that many flowerings last about a week or two.

The dogwoods have lasted longer.  But those are not actually flowers, they are bracts.

Cedar waxwings

When I left work yesterday, I heard a different sound than usual as soon as I walked out of the building.  I looked all around, and figured out that the cedar waxwings have come to the juneberry trees.