Ash Identification and Seed Collection

1. 10/18/2011 USDA NRCS Ash Identification and Seed Collection USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Rose Lake Plant Materials Center: Dave Burgdorf, John Leif, John Durling, Sergio Perez

2. 10/18/2011 USDA NRCS Presentation Goals To provide guidance in identification of Ash trees To provide guidance in the collection of Ash seeds for long term storage and preservation

3. 10/18/2011 USDA NRCS Presentation Overview Explain how to identify four Ash species Black Ash White Ash Green Ash Blue Ash Provide guidance in the collection of seed for the Plant Material Center Summary Questions

4. 10/18/2011 USDA NRCS Ash Trees vs. Other Trees Branching Opposite or Alternate? Alternate = NOT an Ash Opposite = Ash, Maple, Dogwood, or Buckeye Leaf Arrangement Pinnate or Palmate? Palmate = NOT an Ash Pinnate = Ash or Boxelder Number of leaflets on a leaf? 3 � 5 leaflets = Boxelder 7 or more leaflets = Ash

5. 10/18/2011 Black Ash Identification 40 � 60 ft. tall at maturity Found in poorly drained sites Terminal buds are more black than either green or white ash Leaves are 12-16 inches long with 7-11 pointed-oval, finely-toothed leaflets. Leaflets are tight against rachis (no petiole)

6. 10/18/2011 Identifying Black Ash

7. 10/18/2011 Green Ash Identification Sometimes called Red Ash 40 � 55 ft tall at maturity Found in moist or poorly drained soils Leaflets on short petiole, twigs round Upper and lower sides of leaflets similar color, twigs to not �flake�

8. 10/18/2011 Green Ash Identification

9. 10/18/2011 White Ash Identification 45 � 75 ft tall at maturity Found in upland sites Leaflets on short petiole Underside of leaflet paler than the upper surface Twigs �flake�

10. 10/18/2011 White Ash Identification

11. 10/18/2011 Blue Ash Identification Least common of the four species in Michigan 40 � 50 ft. tall at maturity Leaflets on short petiole Twigs 4-sided with low corky ridges extending between the nodes

12. 10/18/2011 Blue Ash Identification

13. 10/18/2011 USDA NRCS Guidance in seed collection When to make collections What to collect How to handle the seed Packaging Labeling Shipping

14. 10/18/2011 Seed Collection WHEN TO COLLECT: September through December. Fruit normally ripens August through September but will sometimes remain on the tree until the following spring. WHAT TO COLLECT: Collect 1 � 2 cups of fruit (samara) from each species at each site. KEEP SAMARA FROM EACH SPECIES SEPARATED.

15. 10/18/2011 Seed collection HOW TO HANDLE COLLECTION: Place harvested seeds into a cloth or paper bag and label the bag to identify the sample. Complete Ash seed collection form and attach to seed bag. Store seeds under cool, dry conditions until shipment. Send sample to: USDA-NRCS Rose Lake Plant Materials Center 7472 Stoll Road East Lansing, MI 48823-9420

16. 10/18/2011 Summary Step 1: Identify specific ash trees for collection. Identify to species. Step 2: Collect mature fruit Step 3: Complete Ash seed collection form and send to Rose Lake Plant Materials Center

17. 10/18/2011 Additional Information Plant Materials Website -http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/mipmc/ Ash seed collection information Access to related sites C.D. for this workshop Memo from MI NRCS State Conservationist Information on Ash ID and seed collection This presentation

18. 10/18/2011 USDA NRCS Questions: