Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Saturday - June 09, 2012
From: Nevada, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Pests, Trees
Title: White ash trees with bunched up leaves from Nevada TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I have very young white ash trees (3' tall planted this winter) The leaves are crippled not opening up bunched up together and have a white powder. Is this aphids mites or what. Only on one tree. The rest have skeleton type leaves. What is the problem and how do I control it. I can send a picture if neededANSWER:
Apparently, this is a problem that is going around with ash trees. Here is a previous Mr. Smarty Plants answer on the same subject. According to this USDA Plant Profile map, White Ash is native to the area of Collin County, in north Central Texas, so that should not be a problem. If you follow the plant link, Fraxinus americana (White ash), to our webpage on this tree you will find this statement:
"Susceptible, like many ashes, to a wide variety of disease and insect pests; these usually are not a problem to vigorously growing trees. Seedlings will tolerate quite a bit of shade, but if a full crown is desired, a generous amount of sun will be necessary as the tree matures. Prune in fall."
From this USDA Forest Service website, here is an article on White Ash. Scroll down to the Use and Management section, where you will get a fairly long list of things that can happen to the members of the Fraxinus (ash) genus. The most comprehensive study of pests on ash trees is this one from wiki.bugwood.org.
Sadly, everyone seems to want ash trees, because they are fast-growing and make good shade trees, but they are short-lived.
From the Image Gallery
More Pests Questions
Worms on blackeyed susans and daisies in Tuckerton NJ
July 30, 2009 - I have black eyed susans and white daisies planted together. Not sure if this makes a difference. Today I noticed that there are tiny worms on both the plants they are almost the size of silk worms. ...
view the full question and answer
Dealing with aphids on milkweed plants in Alloway, NJ.
July 11, 2012 - I planted milk weed for the Monarch butterfly. Every year it gets orange aphids that seem to suck out the juices and eventually kill the plant sooner than I like.
view the full question and answer
Tree leaves being chewed in Austin
July 04, 2009 - We planted a Texas Redbud tree, and Monterey Oak (Mexican White Oak) in the front yard this spring and both have had their leaves eaten or chewed by something I cannot find on their leaves. At first I...
view the full question and answer
Growths on Shumard Red Oak leaves from Katy TX
April 01, 2013 - Our beautiful Shumard Red Oak has developed lots of light green grape like growths on the leaves. Please inform us what this could be and how we should treat it?
view the full question and answer
Termites found in dying/dead plants
March 19, 2009 - Recently I have noticed that when investigating native plants that have passed on, such as my deceased Erythrina herbacea, often times I find termites in the remaining central stem. It has been extre...
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
