Ash Tree Replacements

[Bobber]

Any suggestions from tree experts out there? I have one in my front yard and they just found the borer up in Waterloo, so it's just a matter of time. I've got two nice oaks already so need to go with something different.

Suppose I could go with a Maple or even a Linden. Wondering about some of the American Elm hybrids out there? I've seen some old Elm's and they really are wonderful trees. I've heard mixed opinions on the new ones. Some say they look too much like a Chinese Elm. Others say they still won't beat the Dutch Elm disease. Anybody have any experience with them?

 

[Wesley]

Go Linden.

 

[azepp]

I have a Linden and the Japanese beetles eat all the leaves off of it every year unless I spray it with insecticide. I'm not sure if they like all varieties of Linden, but I would not plant one unless you know for sure that it's a variety that doesn't attract them.

 

[isuno1fan]

I would honestly do another oak. The Japanese beetles will stay away and they thrive in Iowa soil.

 

[MeanDean]

Dutch Elm

 

[Wesley]

I would honestly do another oak. The Japanese beetles will stay away and they thrive in Iowa soil.

Oak is like ISU football, it takes a long time to develop a good t(ree)am.

If you want something big, I have started a sequia and Cali redwood trees in a pot the first year from the Cali nursery. The redwood grows much faster. I also had both types of trees when I lived in Virginia, but I moved before they were much more than five feet tall.

 

[Splendid]

It would be a hoot to plant a great redwood! You would have a couple oak trees standing 30/40 feet tall and next to them if you live to be a 1000 you'd have a 35 story redwood.

 

[SpiderClone]

Ginkgo!

 

[Die4Cy]

Autumn blaze maple. Grows fairly quickly, nice shade, really pretty in the fall. I have one now, and when my ash goes, I will be sad but probably put another ABM in right away.

 

[ISU_phoria]

Reminds me of a great/stupid joke.

Q: How do you catch a bear?
A: Go into the woods and dig a deep hole. Then, fill the hole with ashes and line the outside edge with peas. So, when a bear comes to take a pea, you kick him in the ash-hole.

 

[Die4Cy]

Reminds me of a great/stupid joke.

Q: How do you catch a bear?
A: Go into the woods and dig a deep hole. Then, fill the hole with ashes and line the outside edge with peas. So, when a bear comes to take a pea, you kick him in the ash-hole.

Hey. It's a polar bear and an ice hole. Tell it right!

 

[cyclonewoes]

Autumn blaze maple. Grows fairly quickly, nice shade, really pretty in the fall. I have one now, and when my ash goes, I will be sad but probably put another ABM in right away.

I agree autumn blaze is a good choice

 

[CYKXBUT]

What about an aspen? I bought one last year.

 

[bugs4cy]

My life seems to revolve around EAB these days, and with that said, I do not suggest planting a maple. Why - because most urban tree inventories from around Iowa are showing an even higher percentage of maple in our cities than ash. We need more diversity, not less. Take a look around - what does you neighboring properties and neighborhood have? Now, plant something different. We're in a real 'ash bind' right now because so many people just planted ash in the wake of Dutch elm disease. Don't repeat history by plowing in more of the same.

This is a publication on alternatives to ash from ISU Extension.

Also, so, it is important to look at your site and size your tree correctly and take environmental conditions into consideration (dry/wet/etc). It seems so elementary but time and time again I find myself, politely, having to explain to people that they made a poor choice.

And as a craptacular Valentines day present to me, I found out today we need to announce more EAB positives next week.
:sad:

 

[VTXCyRyD]

Is there any good insecticide (ground treat) that is effective?

 

[Wesley]

My life seems to revolve around EAB these days, and with that said, I do not suggest planting a maple. Why - because most urban tree inventories from around Iowa are showing an even higher percentage of maple in our cities than ash. We need more diversity, not less. Take a look around - what does you neighboring properties and neighborhood have? Now, plant something different. We're in a real 'ash bind' right now because so many people just planted ash in the wake of Dutch elm disease. Don't repeat history by plowing in more of the same.

This is a publication on alternatives to ash from ISU Extension.

Also, so, it is important to look at your site and size your tree correctly and take environmental conditions into consideration (dry/wet/etc). It seems so elementary but time and time again I find myself, politely, having to explain to people that they made a poor choice.

And as a craptacular Valentines day present to me, I found out today we need to announce more EAB positives next week.
:sad:

Please no pacific sunset maples. They are ugly and grow and shed like weeds. Neighbor has four of them and they are not worthy of his yard.

Norway maple is much better than those hybrids. Gingko sounds okay if you get the male version?

 

[00clone]

We're in a real 'ash bind' right now because so many people just planted ash in the wake of Dutch elm disease. Don't repeat history by plowing in more of the same.

So you're saying we got our Ashes in a bind right now?

 

[bugs4cy]

Is there any good insecticide (ground treat) that is effective?

Maybe. But I am personally not a lover of treatments, especially soil drenches. Here is ISU's publication. Pay attention to max size and health of tree. - And per acre maximum treatment restrictions. Treatments are not a one-and-done solution to EAB. You're looking at treatments every years (or every two at the max) for the life of that tree is the treatments works.

Previously we believed pollinators didn't work ash trees, so EAB treatments didn't affect them. But, some early research results from last summer show another side to that story.

 

[Fishhead]

Hackberry is a gOod native midwestern tree. Good for wildlife too

 

[MNclone]

I'm a big fan of Kentucky coffee and thornless locust trees.