French sapwood Ash has an off-white colour. Cut strips are very straight and smooth and high in strength. White Ash has a clear white to pale yellow sapwood, with its heartwood ranging more to the light to medium tone browns.

The wood is straight-grained, open pored, and hard, with no distinctive taste or odour. It is tough and yet elastic, with high shock resistance and excellent steam bending characteristics.

The wood is relatively stable with little downgrade in drying. It only occasionally shows interesting patterns in crotch wood.

Ash is not considered to be a durable wood when in contact with the ground, as it is susceptible to fungal and beetle attack.

Its average air-dry density is 0.72 g/cm3.