Knowledgebase
Possible elm and ash trees growing in my fence #940907
Asked July 29, 2026, 12:52 PM EDT
Hi,
Five years ago, I bought an old house in a historic neighborhood in Detroit. In my back fence line there are some tree stumps that sucker and shoot out new branches every spring. For the past few years I have been cutting them back. These stumps and shoots are really literally engrained into the fence...or rather, the fence is engrained in the trees...either way...not coming out. This year I let them grow to figure out what kind of trees they are. It appears that there is a glossy buckthorn (YUCK) and a suspected American elm and a suspected green Ash.
My fence neighbors were not much help. They do not know if they were ever big trees, what they looked like, or if they were cut down because they were in a fence under the electrical utility line, or if they were cut down because they got Dutch Elm Disease or emerald ash borer death.
These tenacious stumps send out dozens of branches every year. Before I thought to check what trees these were, I had been cutting them down randomly throughout the year and it doesn't seem to make any difference...they are not dead yet. There are no American elm or ash trees around me that I know of...and I've gotten very nosy looking at trees lately because of this!!
Looking for advice because IF these trees really are elms and ashes, I doubt these would qualify for the survivor elm or survivor ash projects because they are not big. And DTE (utility company) will never let them grow because it's right under their electrical poles.
Should I try and propagate any of these? How would I do that? Branch cutting? Do elm or ash trees bloom and send out seeds - and could I reasonably start a seedling and try to grow them? I am sincerely interested in this and willing to devote quite some time and effort to it.
Thank you!
Wayne County Michigan
Expert Response
Yes, you can certainly start root cuttings from both plants to grow trees. The article at the link below provides instructions:
https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/yardandgarden/propagate-trees-and-shrubs-from-cuttings/
Keep in mind that Dutch elm disease and Emerald ash borer continue to be active in the landscape. So, mature trees could be susceptible to infection/infestation if disease pressure in the area is high, which may or may not be the case depending on the neighborhood.
That said, It is not likely that the elm stump died from Dutch elm disease, as the fungal pathogen would have also killed the roots. The tree could have died from emerald ash borer as those do frequently sprout from roots. I think its more likely they were cut down due to the proximity to the fence.
For the buckthorn, you may wish to cut that stump, and then do a targeted application of herbicide directly to the fresh cut stump. That will stop the plant from returning. It may be wise to do that with the other woody species, once you've successfully rooted a cutting, as the branches will just continue to grow back until the nutrients in the roots are exhausted (very difficult to predict when that will be). I use a foam paintbrush to apply herbicide to avoid drift.
I hope this information help you make your decision. Please do reach out again if they information sparked additional questions.
Thank you,
-Julie
