Identify the zombie tree.

Seems to happen often in the city that people will deal with problem trees by cutting off branches they're worried about, and when they run out of chainsaw the rest of the tree gets left standing there. This one is just down the block from my house, and looks like it's been in this condition for at least a couple of years (I'm new in the neighborhood, so I don't know when the butchery occurred). I'm halfway tempted to ask the homeowner whether they'd like some 'help' with it, but I'd like to know what it is first. My best guess is ash, but I'm not much good at identifying trees by their bark. What do you think?

I don't know, looks like it's attached to a very large trunk.

You're right about that. I grew up in a house with an unusually large ash in the yard, so I tend to forget that they don't usually get that big.

Could be ash.

Big ol ash

Sure looks like ash.

Well, that seems like a pretty solid consensus.

I've never taken down a tree nearly that big, and I'm not really equipped to do so in a professional manner. My saw is big enough to cut off everything above the point where it branches out, but I'd have no way to remove the fattest part of the trunk except maybe nibbling it off in pieces, which seems like a lot of work. There's also the retaining wall visible in the picture and an asphalt driveway on the far side; it would be bad to damage either of those. So this may not be worth pursuing, but it's fun to think through anyhow.

Yes sir. that's ash. Hope no one was injured or killed during that "take down"!