Rowan

[John Parry]

The berries are doing well this year - hollys are looking fine, but this is a rowan.

Regards - John

[kamera]

Nice...!! Are they edible???

Ron Head
Kalamazoo, MI

[John Parry]

Ron - Unfortunately not - but nothing worse than a bad stomach ache. Seeds from the laburnun (that I posted earlier this year) are the biggest cause of fatal poisoning in this country.

Regards - John

[GeneW]

John, I've been trying to determine from photos (others as well as yours) if your rowan is what we call mountain ash. Anyone know?

Gene

[John Parry]

Hi Gene,

Yes it's a Mountain Ash (although they will grow down to sea level, so I'm not sure why they're called that unless it's because a true ash won't grow at altitude). Check out the "Lady in Red" post in Sights of Seasons Past (P2).

Regards - John

[herron]

The ash trees in our area have been infested with the emerald ash borer...destroys the tree. I have two Marshall Seedless Ash next to our deck, and both have been infested.

I've invested in the stuff they sell to kill the pests (not cheap), and think I've saved one of them...but the other is going to be touch-and-go. Will have to see how it leafs out next spring. I may have to get it cut down.

I would think it's a problem near the other Ron H (kamera), too. My father-in-law lives on the west side of Michigan, and every ash tree, but one, on his property (60 acres) is dead!

[John Parry]

They're suggesting that horse-chestnuts may be wiped out by a fungal disease that may turn out as bad as Dutch Elm Disease. Will post some photos when I sort them out.

Regards - John

[PeterW]

John P wrote

They're suggesting that horse-chestnuts may be wiped out by a fungal disease that may turn out as bad as Dutch Elm Disease. Will post some photos when I sort them out.

That would be very sad, John. I hate loosing trees, and in this case I presume we'd loose the age-old game of conkers, too /

PeterW