The city of London is examining suggestions that the blue ash may be resistant to the emerald ash borer.

Dean Sheppard, executive director of ReForest London, and a member of the Trees and Forestry Advisory Committee, presented a report that asked the city to consider the possibility of the blue ash being resistant to emerald ash borer when removing infected ash trees.

Sheppard said the advisory committee was concerned that special care be taken during ash cutting to make sure blue ash is not lumped in with the rest of the ash species.

“There is a good amount of current evidence that the specific species, blue ash, may indeed be resistant to emerald ash borer. Certainly, we would be foolish to cut down blue ash trees just because we didn’t take care to differentiate them from the other species,” said Sheppard.

Some experts also say blue ash displays some resistance to the ash borer by forming callous tissue around galleries formed by the insect, however, the tree is usually killed.

In the City of London, a municipal committee voted to have staff investigate the blue ash tree’s apparent resistance.

 

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