On The Cover—Green Ash

Abstract

Ashes, Fraxinus sp., are deciduous trees of the North Temperate zone. Ashes are the only tree members of Oleaceae with native North American members, of which 16 species are found in the United States, 7 in Mexico, and 4 in Canada. 1 Farrar J.L. Trees of the Northern United States and Canada. Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA1995: 160-170 Google Scholar , 2 Simpson B.J. A Field Guide to Texas Trees. Gulf Publishing Co, Houston1999: 150-153 Google Scholar , 3 Barnes B.V. Wagner W.H. Michigan Trees. University if Michigan Press, Ann Arbor1981: 298-307 Google Scholar Green ash, F. pennsylvanica, extends across the Northern Plains to the Rocky Mountains, into Saskatchewan, eastward to Nova Scotia, and southward into Texas. [4] Sibley D.A. The Sibley Guide to Trees. Alfred A. Knopf Inc, New York2009: 375-388 Google Scholar It is commonly found in bottomlands in river valleys, and can withstand weeks of flooding while dormant. It is a popular lawn and street tree. Ashes are valuable lumber trees for flooring, furniture, sport equipment and tool handles. All native American ash species can be killed by the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, first identified in Michigan in 2002, but probably introduced into North American from Asia in the 1990s. [5] Bauer LS. Emerald ash borer: Biology and life cycle of emerald ash borer. Available at: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/disturbance/invasive_species/eab/biology/planipennis. Accessed January 27, 2010. Google Scholar