Green Ash

The centerpiece of our backyard, this large Green Ash has likely stood here as long as the house which is closing in on seventy years. One of the last trees to leaf out in the spring and one of the first to let go of its yellow leaves in the fall, it still hosts a diversity of animal and insect life in its canopy, including the caterpillars of the large and showy swallowtails.

In the aftermath of Dutch Elm Disease, Green Ash became the most commonly planted tree, along with maples and hackberry, along the city streets of Northfield. Unfortunately, with the threat of the Emerald Ash Borer, these trees may become scarce as well.

The bark on the main trunk is uniform and shows the diamond pattern characteristic of this species. In contrast to the clean, columnar trunk, the upper branches and twigs are a mess, scraggly and swollen at the joints like arthritic fingers.

Posted on February 4, 2017 04:51 AM by scottking