What to do with volunteer ash trees - Ask Extension
I have a wooded area on my property that I am trying to get as native as reasonably possible, A couple of years after cutting down a number of very t...
Knowledgebase
What to do with volunteer ash trees #922124
Asked November 18, 2025, 2:52 PM EST
I have a wooded area on my property that I am trying to get as native as reasonably possible, A couple of years after cutting down a number of very tall honeysuckle bushes, I now see a number of volunteer young ash trees growing (maybe up to 3 feet tall) (along with other native trees). Given all the emerald ash borer, but also the possibility that the parasitic wasps Maryland is introducing will be successful, do you advise leaving the baby ash trees or cutting them down?
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Keep whichever seedlings you can accommodate should they mature to need the room of a mid- to large-size tree. The rest can be thinned out in the coming months, or you can let nature do it if the beetle resurges in our area and kills the more vulnerable among the seedling population. (In that way, a new beetle outbreak may help select for resistant individuals, which is ecologically helpful and reduces the need for you to intervene.) There's no one right answer for this situation, so do what is the most suitable for you.
Even taking Emerald Ash Borer out of the equation, densely-growing tree saplings usually thin themselves out over time due to the competition or some individuals falling victim to natural factors like other insect pests, diseases, or damage from wildlife like deer. If there are particular ash seedlings you definitely want to keep and deer visit the area, consider protecting their trunk with a wire cage (or a similar barrier) to keep bucks from rubbing their antlers on it just before rutting season each fall, which can seriously injure, disfigure, or kill a young tree.
Miri
Even taking Emerald Ash Borer out of the equation, densely-growing tree saplings usually thin themselves out over time due to the competition or some individuals falling victim to natural factors like other insect pests, diseases, or damage from wildlife like deer. If there are particular ash seedlings you definitely want to keep and deer visit the area, consider protecting their trunk with a wire cage (or a similar barrier) to keep bucks from rubbing their antlers on it just before rutting season each fall, which can seriously injure, disfigure, or kill a young tree.
Miri
Dear Miri
Thank you for your thoughtful response! There are only a few saplings, but I wasn't sure what to do with them. If you are not against it, I'll let them be and hope your parasitic wasps do the trick. The websites I found weren't clear on advice. Thanks again!
Bob
You're welcome!
