Tropical ash

Tropical ash (Fraxinus uhdei) is found in certain reforestation programs and experimental plots across Hawaiʻi Island. It was introduced to provide quick canopy cover and potential timber.

The wood can be pale with a uniform grain, sometimes suitable for joinery, flooring, or general construction. Some foresters have trialed tropical ash for plantations, but challenges include competition with faster-growing exotics and limited local demand. While small-scale sawmills occasionally cut tropical ash, it doesn’t have the same market recognition as Koa, Eucalyptus, or Monkeypod. As such, it remains a secondary or experimental timber, though it can provide serviceable lumber when harvested from suitable stands.