NO SURPRISE: EMERALD ASH BORER AT THE MORTON ARBORETUM

EMERALD ASH BORER FOUND AT THE MORTON ARBORETUM

Infestation Was Not A Surprise

LISLE, IL (November 16, 2010) – The Morton Arboretum, the fourth most-visited public garden in the United States, gets all kinds of visitors, including some that fences cannot keep out.

Arboretum staff discovered Emerald ash borer (EAB) in four ash trees called “trap trees,” which are specifically selected to monitor the area for the borers’ presence. State officials later verified the finds. The trees were at three Arboretum locations, all in non-public areas.

The EAB discovery is no surprise.

“We’ve been expecting to find EAB here and are fully prepared for it,” says Kris Bachtell, Arboretum Vice President of Collections and Facilities, who noted that EAB had earlier been found in several communities surrounding the Lisle tree museum.

EAB has killed tens of millions of ash trees in the United States and Canada. There are an estimated 130 million ash trees in Illinois, and the Arboretum has approximately 9,000 ash among its hundreds of thousands of trees and other plants.

The Arboretum removed its infested trees, and staff will continue to monitor for any additional signs of the insect. Also, the Arboretum has been reproducing almost three dozen ash trees considered to be of high value because of their genetic rarity or other factors, growing the specimens in Arboretum nurseries to safeguard them from EAB.

Additionally, Arboretum experts conduct insecticidal research on 29 trees with landscape or genetic importance in the Arboretum Ash Collection, and on trees offsite. While we expect insecticide to kill EAB larva, this is not a certainty, and testing is still a work in progress.

If homeowners are considering treating their trees with insecticide, the Arboretum recommends they learn the facts and make an informed choice based upon their particular circumstances. The website, www.mortonarb.org, carries a fact sheet on insecticides that will help homeowners consider the options.

The Morton Arboretum is a leader in the fight against EAB.

The Arboretum conducts laboratory tests to see which types of Asian and European ash are less susceptible to EAB. Ultimately, experts may create a hybrid of a North American and a non-native ash with superior ability to survive an EAB infestation.

Researchers at Michigan State University and the USDA’s Northern Experiment Station in Wooster, Ohio also conduct EAB-related tests using plants from Arboretum collecting expeditions to Asia.

The Arboretum is involved in statewide EAB monitoring and research programs.

The Arboretum Community Trees Advocate serves on the governor’s EAB Management and Science Advisory Panel, which effectively sets state policy regarding the pest.

Through its Plant Clinic and Education Program, Arboretum outreach informs the public about EAB, and the Arboretum website provides a recommended list of replacement trees that are hardy for the local climate.

And finally, the Arboretum works with partners to evaluate if a market can be developed for reclaimed urban wood that died due to age, disease or pest, including EAB.

The Morton Arboretum is a world-renowned leader in tree science and education, working to save and plant trees. The 1,700-acre outdoor museum features magnificent collections of 4,117 kinds of trees, shrubs, and other plants from around the world. The Arboretum's beautiful natural landscapes, gardens, research and education programs, and year-round family activities support its mission – the planting and conservation of trees and other plants for a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world. Conveniently located at I-88 and Rte. 53 in Lisle, Illinois, the Arboretum is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from 7 a.m. Central Time until sunset. The Children's Garden is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., March through October, and 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., November through February. Visit Press Room at www.mortonarb.org, call to learn more.

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