Ash or Hickory?

Bsearcey,

I now understand what you mean by the leaves being alternate on the twig for hickories.

I just walked out in my yard, which is full of shagbarks, and it is very difficult to actually see that the leaves are alternate on the twig. I would say random and haphazard at best. At the end of the twig there are always large clusters or leaves. These always come down in windstorms!

It's difficult to tell when you're staring up into a tree. I've used binoculars in the field on occasion to help me identify and see those kinds of things. Don't do it for fun it's part of my job. If you had a branch off of an ash and a branch of of a hickory you'd be able to see the difference easily. Also looking at the tips of the branches sometimes can be confusing because the leaves start to get jumbled up and the spacing isn't as obvious. I alway look further down the branch.