Perhaps the greatest lesson that we as a tree service in Hamilton want to pass along is that the EAB indiscriminately attacks all ash trees irregardless of which species it was. White Ash, Blue Ash, Green Ash, Pumpkin Ash, Black Ash, etc. are all different species of ash and they all have been hit by EAB. The genetic predisposition of all ash trees was similar enough to make room for EAB to thrive.
Tree Planting Strategy
Next time you decide to plant a tree, don’t just plant multiple different species from the same genus (ie. Red Maple, Sugar Maple, Norway Maple, Freeman Maple, Autumn Blaze, etc.). Consider planting trees from completely different genera altogether such as Gingko, Kentucky Coffee, and Katsura. Such trees are known to have few pest issues and perhaps that is because they stand alone or nearly alone in their very own genus.
You can learn a learn a little bit more about diversity of genus vs species through this slideshow put together by John Ball. If you are interested in determining the options regarding any ash trees on your property, give us a call!