ash vs Big-Leaf Maple

Fraxinus excelsior compared with Acer macrophyllum

Key Differences

• ash is Vulnerable while Big-Leaf Maple is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	ash	Big-Leaf Maple
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Lamiales (Lamiales)	Sapindales (Sapindales)
Family	Oleaceae	Sapindaceae
Genus	Fraxinus	Acer
Species	Fraxinus excelsior	Acer macrophyllum

Evolutionary Relationship

ash and Big-Leaf Maple share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

ash

VU — Vulnerable

Big-Leaf Maple

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	ash	Big-Leaf Maple
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

ash

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Oceanian and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Libya), Europe (7 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Chile). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Big-Leaf Maple

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Canada, Ireland, and United States.

ash

Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is a species in the genus Fraxinus. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Oceanian and Palearctic realms. Pop

Big-Leaf Maple

The Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) is a species in the genus Acer. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇸 United States