Tuesday, August 25, 2026

The Ash out Back

 Both my neighbor and I have been concerned about the rapid growth of a tree in the back.  Its right by the fence we share and also the two neighbors behind.

It seemed to come from nowhere, but has grown to 35 feet or so, not huge branches.  The trunk splits low to two main trucks, each five or inches across at their start, and both then dwindle to spindley as they ascend, like a bush almost.

I saw an article on facebook from Parks and Rec warning that the Emerald Ash Bore, an invasive beetle that kills Ash trees, has been found just north of us in Salem.  Albany Parks and Rec has been innoculating known Ash trees on city property.  

Ok, I thought, those photos of Ash trees look like the one out back.

I fetched a compound leaf from the tree.  I looked up leaf scars and differences between Ash species.

I think the tree is a Green Ash, non native.  Our only native Ash is the Oregon Ash.  Doesn't matter what kind of Ash it is, it could become a liability to all Ash trees if it becomes infected with the invasive beetlek, then need expensive removal later on, when larger, and if not removed would require innoculation against it, which is an expense.  My neighbor and I talked.  She is willing to chip in for removal.   A tree company is coming to give an estimate Monday.

I don't know where its start came from, but I think the one two houses down that towers over backfences into several yards, is an Ash also.  The other problem is the neighbors behind me.  There are two three inch trunk ones growing inches from the two fence section I built in front of the original three foot property divide chain link, when their board back fence on their side of the chain link fell apart.  I didn't want to constantly see their backyard after their board fence fell apart, so I built those two sections.  There's an ash growing between the chain link and one section I built and another a few feet from it.  When their fence fell apart, they simply leaned the fallen rotted pieces against the section I built.  That's been years ago.  The 2nd small but growing Ash is behind their rotted leaning boards in their yard.  They won't do any maintenance.  If I approach them about it, they'll either say do it yourself or no.

I can easily cut down the one just behind the section I built, between my board fence and the chain link because that one is my problem, on this property so I'll deal with that one first or it will destroy the fence, they grow so fast.  I can remove a couple fence boards to do it.

It may look tall, but the branches are very spindley.  Not far up, its more like a big bush.

Compound leaflets directly across from one another are Ash characteristics.
Green Ash has serrated leaf edges.  Oregon Ash, our only native here, leaflets attached directly at stalk but Green Ash are out a little and I can't really tell from this comopound leaf if those leaflets are directly attached or out a bit.
Hardly matters what species of Ash or even hybrid it is.  They grow extremely fast, can get 30 or more feet in under ten years in fact.  They're good trees, removing pollution from soil and air, but not so good on a fenceline because of their rapid growth
  or in an area with risk from Emerald Ash Bore Beetle.


I plugged leaf photos into two different AI's and one said Oregon Ash and the other Green Ash.  


9 comments:

  1. The emerald ash borer has been a big problem here in the east. My brother-in-law had several ash trees that were infected and they all had to come down. Good luck with getting your tree taken down. My experience says that could be a very expensive operation.

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    1. Supposed to get a quote next week. My neighbor says she'll pay half. But doesn't mean I can come up with the other half.

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  2. You may want to contact the parks and rec department and see if there are programs in place to help people with ash trees that need to be removed.

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    1. Best idea ever, Kathy!!! Will do it tomorrow!

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    2. Oh, cool! For once we can support a useful government program. ~nods~ The invasive species here are weighing me down but I must remind myself that it's a first world problem. lol Hugs, my dear.

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  3. Yeah, best get rid of it while the ridding is easy. Neighbors who won't contribute suck. It's too bad you can't head the tree in their direction and let them deal with the fallout when things go bad.

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    1. It will only get bigger and then probably get the bugs and cost even more. Neighbor next to me is the nice one, offering to pay half the cost of removal. Its right by her fence, shades out her yard and drops its seed pods thingy's everywhere. So I do have one very good neighbor but not the people behind me.

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  4. Oh boy. That is quite the tree and am sure taking it down won't be easy or cheap. Good luck.

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    Replies
    1. It grew so big so fast, but most of it is actually very small diameter trunk/branches, like a bush.

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