The pear tree has been moved, not destroyed, only because it does offer fruit for the birds. The Silver Maple was planted too deep and it's suffering a long, slow demise of it's own. The ash tree is the only one I wanted to keep.
Guess what?
I got a pain in my ash.
Vertical scarring associated with the Emerald Ash Borer. (notice the suckering? Another
symptom of ash borer.)
The bark here is completely torn away from the cambium. The suckering is the tree's response to it's life being threatened from the inside out...
Crown die-back, sometimes the first symptom people notice.
Crown die-back, sometimes the first symptom people notice.
I have written to the Illinois Dept of Agriculture and sent them these photos. I am in an area that is quarantined, already, but I just want a confirmation.
I want a Purple Robe Locust Tree.
I want a Purple Robe Locust Tree.
So sad about your ash tree. I've been told that it is inevitable that all ash trees will be infested with the Emerald Ash Borer in time. My sister has an ash tree in her back yard and an arborist told her it was not a matter of "if" but "when" it will be infested. They are considering pre-emptively cutting it down.
ReplyDeleteCarol at May Dreams Gardens
I'm so sorry you're losing the tree you liked, Sissy. My two remaining Arizona Ashes are slowly declining but not from something specific - they just have a short lifespan here. In your case it's more of a targeted attack by the borer. That makes it more personal!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with whatever replacements you end up planting!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Sorry about the ash. I had a mountain ash that I loved. They are very pretty trees. I can see why you'd want the purple robe, the flowers are beautiful and very fragrant if they are like my black locust. Just in case you're not aware of their downside - they leaf out late, they have thorns, & they grow like weeds from the messy seed pods or if you damage and expose a root while digging in the garden. I rip several out everytime I weed and John just mows over the ones in the lawn as we've given up getting rid of them. Of course you only want one which shouldn't be too hard to manage. I'm surrounded on three sides by more than 50 of the black locusts! Heavenly for a week in the spring but #$@^%# the rest of the year.
ReplyDeleteOoh, Sissy, that doesn't look good at all. I am so sorry, gosh darn those buggers! I didn't even know thats what they did to trees, it looks horrible.
ReplyDeleteEven though the main stem dies, you can let the sprouts from the very base live. Thats what I did with my tree.
ReplyDelete