Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: A pause for appreciation before they go: Fraxinus, 0 by ViburnumValley

ViburnumValley wrote:
There has a been a lot of writing and a lot of lamenting due to the arrival of the emerald ash borer. Many fine trees have been lost, and undoubtedly there are many more that will follow.

The beast hasn't made it to KY yet. Before it does, I intend to document the trees that we have here. These gentle souls may go on into the night, but not unrecognized.

In central KY, three species are significant in local plant communities. I'll describe them in turn.

Blue ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata) partners with bur oak and chinkapin oak in the old savannas that still dot the thoroughbred horse farm and agricultural landscapes. Formerly towering among cane breaks, these old denizens now cast their shade over cropland and pastures. Many are multiple hundred years old, having been larger than the saws used to cut smaller trees during settlement, or already having hollows making them useless for lumber. They are easily recognized by their ramrod straight trunks, lightly flaking gray bark, and branches that reach out horizontally, like arms being raised in greeting.

Seldom produced commercially, blue ash is a very long lived species and incredibly tolerant of drought conditions. The fall color is a reserved pale yellow, but it has lustrous dark green foliage through the summer months. It is easy to germinate seedlings. This is one of the species I have made a mission to plant in parks and to recommend for larger properties and mixed plantings of shade trees, so that future generations have the opportunity to appreciate blue ash when the old patriarchs finally fall.