Ash can be easy to overlook. Indeed, some of the first time I was exposed to an EAB infested landscape in Pennsylvania, I was amazed the amount of dead trees in the hills above the highways. In our Vermont forests, Ash comprise about 5% of the population. That may seem small, but arguably the size and stature of Ash (think canopy cover, the amount of space an Ash occupies) will make the low population seem considerably greater.

The ’invasion wave’ of EAB in other areas of United States follows a predictable pattern. A tree can be infected for 2-3 years before damage is noticeable, and by years 5 & 6 the population grows exponentially, with 90% Ash mortality by year 8 or 9.

Middlebury is home to two native Ash species, the grand White Ash, Fraxinus americana, and the Green, or Red Ash, Fraxinus pennsylvnaica. White Ash, the larger of the two, tends to be 50-80’ tall, with an equal spread, but can reach 120’ tall. Green Ash is slightly smaller, at 50-60’ in height, about half that in spread. In our neighborhoods and communities the Green ash has been more popular, the sheer size of the White precluding it’s use in landscapes. They are native Eastern North American trees, with a range westward to Minnesota, and from Nova Scotia down to Florida.

Ash are known to be hardy and adaptable. Like many trees, they prefer rich, well drained soil, but in landscape settings can be tolerant of much. Ash thrives particularly well in alkaline soils, explaining how they do so well at Middlebury as we sit atop a limestone ledge. Green ash has the edge on cold hardiness, but both live well in the north country.

The compound leaves of Ash are a light green, with White Ash turning purple in the fall, and Green turning a stunning, albeit subtle purple. They are quite vigorous in both landscape and forest settings, known for growing 1 to 1 1/2 feet a year.

Ash are an important part of our ecosystem. The deeply furrowed diamond shaped bark hosts many species of moss and lichens, which in turn host many species of insects and arthropods. 43 species of arthropods feed only on Ash, while another 30 feed on only 1-2 other hosts than ash. We are only beginning to understand what the the ripple of ash extinction might mean to these other species. Many species feed on the prolific seeds of Ash, like mice, turkeys, and squirrels, and White Ash in forests are prone to hollow cavities when older, hosting bats, porcupines, and birds in the upper forest canopy. Green Ash, often found along streams and ponds, will drop leaves into the water, providing valuable food for aquatic critters, feeding the base of an important food chain.

Ash leaf out later in the spring than other species in our forests, This sends valuable early spring light to the forest floor and the accompanying spring ephemerals. They are also an early colonizer, spreading it’s prolific seed over newly bare ground, outcompeting many of our invasive non-native species.

Ash is an important timber species in the northeast. It’s straight grain and light although strong wood has been prized for centuries for tool handles, baseball bats, playground equipment, even furniture. Ash splits by hand easily, and can even burn cleanly and efficiently when green and unseasoned, probably getting more than one Vermonter through a harsh early spring when the woodstove burns all of last year’s stacked wood.

In our built environment, Ash has long been used in our landscapes. The hardiness and adaptability of the species made it a popular street tree in many a subdivision. Look along Porter field Road to see what a monoculture of Ash feels like-not having learned our lesson from Dutch Elm Disease, Ash was frequently planted as an Elm replacement. Ash is in Olive family, home to many of our best and hardiest landscape plants, including Lilac, Privet, Jasmine, and Forsythia.

Once Ash trees are infected, they die within 3-5 years. A dead Ash tree loses over 5 times the strength compared to live wood. The species risk profile includes both a rare chance of entire tree (trunk) failure, but more common is thrown limbs and branches from the dead canopy, extending 1.5 times crown height. Dead branches appear in the upper canopy first, so this risk rates high even at the early stages of an infestation, at 25% crown canopy death.