After leaves have fallen off the plant in fall and before it begins to leaf out, Oregon ash can be identified by its stout twigs and opposite branching arrangement and opposing buds.

[3][5] Oregon ash is intolerant of shade, and may eventually be replaced by more competitive trees such as bigleaf maples or conifers that block the light with their leaves or sheer size.

[4] This particular species of ash is well adapted to soggy ground due to its moderately shallow, but extensive and wide-spreading root system.

[4] The light color of the wood is somewhat lustrous, hard, strong, stiff, high in shock resistance, flexible, workable with machines, and wears smooth with use.

The young and fast-growing wood of ash is more elastic and more favorable for handles and baseball bats because it has wider growth rings.

It is commonly used as an ornamental or shade tree within and beyond it native range of the Pacific Northwest because of its rapid growth rate, symmetrical shape, and hardiness.

[4] Thomas Nuttall found that stories persisted in Oregon that rattlesnakes would admonish sticks from the tree; this was historically reported by Pliny the Elder.