Ash Tree Replacement Sources (Due to EAB)

It has come to my attention that the Emerald Ash Borer is in my county. I live in Arenac county in Michigan. I have predominately ash trees. I have 20 acres of woods and 8 acres I keep cleared.

I've been trying to plant replacement trees and have gotten some from the conservation department sale in the spring. I've also bought some cheapies at Home Depot and places like that.I've planted acorns and some walnut saplings someone on freecycle gave me. What other places can you suggest to get cheap replacement trees?

What types of trees would you suggest replacing them with? I know to plant a variety. I do have some old maples in the woods and white birch and some elms. I don't know my trees as well as you all do so I may have other stuff in there that I don't know what it is.

Thanks for any help you can offer. I'm in a wetland situation also with sand and then clay for soil.

Brenda

The Michigan conservation department or your local SWCD probably has developed some landowner guidelines already. You might check with them first. Beyond that, it depends upon your objectives for the land. If you want to restore natural habitat, use a broad mix of locally native species adapted to your soils and moisture conditions. Look around nearby to see what's growing happily there.

Guy S.

Yes, that is what I want to do. Restore the natural habit. It seems ash likes to grow here mostly but across the road they have a lot of pines that look like they're doing OK. I'm sure they probably planted them since they have a lot and I have none in my woods. I think we have poplars too.

Go easy on oak, if at all. If an oak, then Red oak. Gypsy moth and oak wilt are prevelant in the region. Consider, as one among many others, Celtis occidentalis - common Hackberry. Also good would be Accolade Elm (Ulmus x 'Morton'). Be cautious around any dead ash. Dead ash becomes brittle very quickly and is "on the ground" in as little as two years from the time the tree expires! The state of Michigan has been at the forefront of the research of EAB. I am sure they would be more than happy to supply you with their recommended replacement species for your area.

Wouldn't sugar maple thrive in Michigan? It seems to be strongest and most long lived of the maples. You could consider planting beech too.

I still think you probably should include some oaks, but not exclusively. They are the matrix and backbone of much of the eastern North American forest habitat. But red oak is in the section most sensitive to oak wilt and Xylella scorch, so consider white, bur, chinkapin, swamp white, etc, instead.

But first, look around in your local forests and see what you find, then get back to us so we can help you fill in the missing species that normally are associated with that type of forest. And remember that Accolade elm is not a native, it just plays one on TV! It's a fine landscape tree but not appropriate for habitat restoration. Celtis, however, could be an excellent choice if your soil is suitable.

Guy S.

Thank you all so much. I will print this out and use it for a guideline. I did plant a couple dozen red oak this past spring along with white oak. I put orange tags on them and from what I can see most have survived.

When I walk through my woods I've noticed the biggest trees that have survived the longest (other than ash) are some kind of maples. I don't know what kind but they are huge with trunks as big around as two feet or more. It is very wet in the woods since this is wetland area. I won't even drive my RTV in there until mid June or later. Whatever I plant would have to like to grow in wet conditions such as this. It does dry out mid summer. We have an awful lot of wildlife that lives in the woods. Other than tons of deer there are owls and porcupines, rabbits,turkey, grouse, pheasants, coyotes and millions of frogs and insects. I want to do what I can to keep them all happy and keep the woods healthy for their home and protection.

One thing seems odd this year. There are none of those Japanese beetles that look like lady bugs. We had been plagued with trillions of those every year. They would get in the house and were such a nuisance. They stink when you smack them and make stains and they bite! Why would they suddenly disappear? Any chance the EAB could do the same thing?

Don't bet your retirement on it.

No, I agree -- don't even bet lunch. But if you can wait long enough and the planet we are destroying lasts that long (a few thousand years or so), the ash genus in North America probably will evolve and recover due to the reproduction of a few resistant individual trees, just like ash have done in Asia.

If your entire woods is a wetland, your maples probably are Acer rubrum and your best oak bet might be Quercus bicolor. But you might check to see if the wet spots are interrupted by some very slightly higher ground, which would add diversity.

Guy S.

Thanks Guy. I know I got some white oaks from the conservation dept. sale last spring but I don't know if they were Quercus or swamp oak. When you buy plants and trees from them they don't give the latin names for them so that you know the variety. I'll try to ask and find out so I'm planting the right trees that will thrive in my conditions. Same for the maples. I know I bought red oaks too. All the trees I bought from them were really healthy with large root systems and they were not too expensive.

I'll try to walk through the woods and be more observant. I know one side of the woods is higher than the other side that is closer to the lake. I'm thinking of having the 5 very large ash trees by my house cut down. I really hate to do it but if they become infected and die they could fall on my house and do a lot of damage. If this EAB thing is inevitible I guess I should just get on with it and get them taken down. They'll make good firewood for someone. Ash burns long and doesn't need to season a year before you burn it.

It is nice that I just had a beautiful aerial photograph done of our farm. It will at least be something to remember it all by. The trees are so healthy looking and beautiful in the picture.

I still wonder what happened to those pesky Japanese beatle bugs. Isn't that strange.

Loon, I am just tucked under the UP and although I have few mature ash they have been very prolific, my main understory is "beaked hazelnut" and many ash whips fighting for light. Must be either to fast or too many for the ever growing deer population, but I'm sure they (deer) will turn to ash as they don't allow regrowth of much else. I am also sure that the forest will adapt, as it always has, if we stop introducing invasive species and feeding others. Good luck with your committment to future generations. Ken

If you have wetlands than I take back my recommendation of sugar maple. Silver maple or Red maple would be a better choice. You could also plant some Sycamore.

Thanks for the info StarhillForest on red oak and oak wilt susceptibility. I just wish the State of Ohio was as thorough in their research as you are. It is on their recommended replacement list for ash in our area, where oak wilt is common. LOL and crying too.

Well, at least it probably won't get ash borers! Hey, every tree gets something, except maybe Ginkgo. Red oaks are nice trees as long as you can keep the wilt away. Plant a few of them, along with other things to spice up the diversity.

Guy S.

Loon,

I'm looking in Hightshoe's Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines for Urban and Rural America. He gives the following associates for Fraxinus:

Fraxinus americana (White Ash)
Pin Cherry
Eastern White Pine
Yellow Birch
Sugar and Black Maples
Black Cherry
American Linden
American Beech
Northern Red and White Oaks
Tuliptree
Cucumbertree Magnolia

Fraxinus nigra (Black Ash):
American Elm
Red Maple
Eastern Arborvitae
Balsam Fir
Black Spruce
Paper Birch
American Larch
Hazel Alder

Fraxinus pennsylvanica lanceolata (Green Ash):
Bur Oak
Silver Maple
American Elm
Common Hackberry
Eastern Poplar
Pin Oak
American Sweetgum
Pecan
American Planetree
Black Willow
Eastern Wahoo
Eastern Redbud
hawthorn species

Excellent suggestions of plants by Fireweed for Loon! Great work Fw87!

Hey folks, Loon is over by Lake Huron sort of in the Saginaw Bay Area if anyone wants an idea of where she gardens.

You might want to contact these people for lists of plants for your county since you want to restore the natural landscape-
http://www.michbotclub.org/
http://www.for-wild.org/chapters.html

These two organizations should be able to help you however here is a great source for wetland species-
Wetlands Nursery (989) 752-3492. Po Box 14553, Saginaw
Call them on the phone and ask them if you can trouble them to e-mail you some lists of plants they would suggest for your wetlands (they are one of the few nurseries out your way that actually restores natural landscapes and provides appropriate plants of local genotype) and while you have them on the phone, ask them to share with you the names of other native plant nurseries that might have bareroot stock for you which would be affordable.

Best wishes to you Loon. I applaud you for what you're doing!

Thanks for the links and information!

Here is a link to a picture of my farm. Don't my trees look pretty...........my soon to be murdered ash trees. :(


http://www.brendas-garden.4mg.com/farm-aerial-800x1000.jpg

That is a beautiful scene!

Wow, what a beautiful place! It is a shame something can't be done. It looks like you have a few conifers in front of your house, at least it won't be completely bare.

Ohhhh My! Every state agency with any authority or information should be pulling out all the stops to assist and advise you. There is one promising chemical treatment (imadicloprid) being researched but in your situation with the number and sheer size of those trees it would be far too expensive and impraticle to try. Maybe there will be a breakthrough before the borer gets to you.