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Summary
Worried about Emerald Ash Borer But Dont Know if You Have Trees? OSU Extension ID Guide Can Help You (10/7/2009)
Emerald ash borer (EAB) continues to make headlines because of its voracious appetite for native ash trees. This exotic green beetle has now been found in more than 50 counties throughout Ohio. So chances are you have heard about this pest and are concerned about its potential impact on your property. But what if you are not sure whether or not you have an ash tree on your property? The Ohio State University EAB Outreach Team has created a fact sheet that will help you identify the most common types of native ash trees susceptible to EAB attack. Are My Trees Ash? is available at http://ashalert.osu.edu, under the Factsheets/Bulletins section of the Web site) or through you local OSU Extension office. Ash trees are very common throughout Ohios rural and urban landscape, accounting for about one in every 10 trees in the state. They are also one of our most frequently planted ornamental trees. Four species of ash are relatively common in Ohios forests: white ash (Fraxinus Americana), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), black ash (Fraxinus nigra), and blue ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata). Most of the numerous cultivars of ash planted in the urban landscape are derived from these four species. There are also a couple of other woody plants that have ash in their name, such as mountain ash, wafer ash and prickly ash, but these plants are not true ash. Only true ash trees members of the genus Fraxinus are known to be susceptible to emerald ash borer. Are My Trees Ash? provides you with detailed information and photographs to distinguish between the main species of ash. But if you simply want to find out if you ashes on your property as opposed to other species of trees, the following clues can help you make an accurate ID. One of the main characteristics to look for when trying to determine if you have an ash tree is opposite branching (branches grow on the same spot on both sides of the limb, that is, each branch has an opposite mate). Look at a limb on the tree and check the branching pattern. Is the tree oppositely or alternately branched? If it is alternately branched, it is not a true ash tree. Other oppositely branched trees include maple, dogwood and buckeye. Another clue is in the leaves. Ash trees have a pinnately (feather-like) compound leaf, usually with more than seven leaflets. The only other oppositely branched tree that has a compound leaf is boxelder (Acer negundo), which almost always has three to five leaflets. Ash leaves have either smooth or toothed margins. An invasive beetle from Asia that hitched a ride to North America in wood packaging materials back in the 1990s, EAB has already killed millions of ash trees in Ohio, 12 other U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The Asian pest is especially devastating because it kills healthy as well as stressed trees, even threatening the existence of ash trees throughout North America as it continues to spread. EAB could potentially destroy 1 in every 10 trees in Ohios forests. Additionally, USDA estimates that if EAB is not contained or eradicated, it has the potential to cost state and local governments $7 billion over the next 25 years to remove and replace dead and dying ash trees that pose a safety hazard in urban and suburban areas.
Emerald ash borer (EAB) continues to make headlines because of its voracious appetite for native ash trees. This exotic green beetle has now been found in more than 50 counties throughout Ohio. So chances are you have heard about this pest and are concerned about its potential impact on your property. But what if you are not sure whether or not you have an ash tree on your property? The Ohio State University EAB Outreach Team has created a fact sheet that will help you identify the most common types of native ash trees susceptible to EAB attack. Are My Trees Ash? is available at http://ashalert.osu.edu, under the Factsheets/Bulletins section of the Web site) or through you local OSU Extension office. Ash trees are very common throughout Ohios rural and urban landscape, accounting for about one in every 10 trees in the state. They are also one of our most frequently planted ornamental trees. Four species of ash are relatively common in Ohios forests: white ash (Fraxinus Americana), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), black ash (Fraxinus nigra), and blue ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata). Most of the numerous cultivars of ash planted in the urban landscape are derived from these four species. There are also a couple of other woody plants that have ash in their name, such as mountain ash, wafer ash and prickly ash, but these plants are not true ash. Only true ash trees members of the genus Fraxinus are known to be susceptible to emerald ash borer. Are My Trees Ash? provides you with detailed information and photographs to distinguish between the main species of ash. But if you simply want to find out if you ashes on your property as opposed to other species of trees, the following clues can help you make an accurate ID. One of the main characteristics to look for when trying to determine if you have an ash tree is opposite branching (branches grow on the same spot on both sides of the limb, that is, each branch has an opposite mate). Look at a limb on the tree and check the branching pattern. Is the tree oppositely or alternately branched? If it is alternately branched, it is not a true ash tree. Other oppositely branched trees include maple, dogwood and buckeye. Another clue is in the leaves. Ash trees have a pinnately (feather-like) compound leaf, usually with more than seven leaflets. The only other oppositely branched tree that has a compound leaf is boxelder (Acer negundo), which almost always has three to five leaflets. Ash leaves have either smooth or toothed margins. An invasive beetle from Asia that hitched a ride to North America in wood packaging materials back in the 1990s, EAB has already killed millions of ash trees in Ohio, 12 other U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The Asian pest is especially devastating because it kills healthy as well as stressed trees, even threatening the existence of ash trees throughout North America as it continues to spread. EAB could potentially destroy 1 in every 10 trees in Ohios forests. Additionally, USDA estimates that if EAB is not contained or eradicated, it has the potential to cost state and local governments $7 billion over the next 25 years to remove and replace dead and dying ash trees that pose a safety hazard in urban and suburban areas.
