Tips Revealed to Help Residents Identify Ash Trees
Tips Revealed to Help
Residents Identify Ash Trees
Holli Seehafer
Grant County Review
The discovery of emerald ash borer at a property in western Milbank last week has led officials with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DENR) to declare an infestation in this community and place Grant County under quarantine of wood products.
Since then, officials have recommended that homeowners seek treatment of any ash trees they wish to save. Treatment involves an injection of the pesticide emam-ectin benzoate and may be up to 98 percent effective, according to Dr. John Ball, acting in the capacity of forest health specialist for the DENR. Ball advises that any ash trees not treated will be dead within five years because the trees have no defense against the emerald ash borer.
Information from the Minneota Department of Natural Resources indicates that all kinds of ash trees are susceptible to the borer. It states that the borer prefers green ash, but will also decimate black ash and white ash.
Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) typically has a mature height of 40 to 60 feet; up to 24-inch diameter; round topped with slender spreading branches. The bark is dark brown or gray, tinged with red; strongly furrowed or ridged.
The leafs are located opposite on stem, length 10 to 12 inches, pinnately compound with seven to nine stalked leaflets each 2-3/4 to five inches long, pointed and slightly toothed on margin; bright green or yellowish green on both sides, turning yellow in autumn.
The fruit or seed of the green ash is described as flat, winged samara, one to two inches long; winged portion extends well down past middle or seed-bearing part; slightly notched at outer end; wing has a somewhat square appearance.
For more information about ash trees, visit https://www.dnr.state .mn.us/invasives/terrestrialanimals/eab/idashtrees.html
See inside this issue for a story detailing what options individuals have regarding their ash trees.
