White Ash seeds

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escambiaguy Atmore, AL(Zone 8b) Dec 03, 2005

I bought some white ash seeds online and I found out they are a northern seed source (from pennsylvania). I live in south Alabama , will these northern seedlings be able to stand up the southern heat? I know White Ash is also native to the south , but don't know if there is some genetic variation.

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StarhillForest Illinois, IL(Zone 5b) Dec 03, 2005

You're always better off to use more local material, but there's no ironclad rule of thumb that applies across the board. Unlike shrubs and perennials, trees are a long term investment that keeps growing. They can break tour heart if they thvive for 10-15 years only to morph into firewood in an extreme weather cycle later. At that point you are 10-15 years older and starting from scratch again.

I think I would be more concerned about emerald ash borer right now. Whatever native ash you plant probably will be dead in a couple of decades anyway, assuming the invasion continues to spread as predicted.

Guy S.

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escambiaguy Atmore, AL(Zone 8b) Dec 03, 2005

StarhillForest, do you think the EAB will have success in crossing the millions of acres of pine forest in the south. I have read somewhere that it wouldn't. Also, ash trees are not as common down here as they are up north. I cant think of seeing any locally, so mine would be very well isolated. I dont think there is a worry free tree anymore. If its not EAB, its oak wilt, or gypsy moth, or DED, or verticillium wilt. Pecans, long a favorite in my area are even starting to have problems with bunch disease(witch's broom).

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Equilibrium Dec 03, 2005

Yes, I believe EAB will ultimately be successful in making it to your area. It's only a matter of time. It made it to my area quite a few years ahead of schedule.

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StarhillForest Illinois, IL(Zone 5b) Dec 03, 2005

As long as there are uncaring moronic nimrods out there who carry ash firewood around from campsite to campsite, EAB will cover the continent. That being said, you're right, anything can have problems. But right now, it may even be less of a risk to plant American elm or American chestnut than to plant ash.

The best solution, as said recently on another thread, is to avoid monocultures of anything and to plant your trees in informal landscape patterns that won't be seriously affected if a single tree is lost. (The opposite of that would be to plant a 4-row formal allee along your driveway consisting of one row each of ash, elm, chestnut, and something like purple plum or Bradford pear!)

Guy S.

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