Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Plant Species >> Trees

Peeling Bark on European Ash: Borer Suspect, Not Normal

Ash Bark Should Be Tight—Peeling Indicates Trouble

European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) normally has tight bark. Peeling suggests a wound (mechanical or borer entry). Look for dark, wet stains—borer frass.

Immediate Action

Cut off loose bark to expose galleries.
Spray trunk with imidacloprid (Merit) – systemic, kills borers inside, prevents new attacks.
Fertilize: 1 lb 10-10-10 per inch trunk diameter to boost vigor.

Borers attack stressed trees. Improving health is key. A photo would allow precise ID.

Trees: Ash Tree Sap Sucker Damage and Normal Bark Aging; Ash Tree Basal Decay: Irreversible Heartwood Rot on West Side; Managing Bark Loss on a Sprout Ash Tree After Storm Damage; Bark Stripped Off Post Oak by Kids: Will the Tree Survive?; Mushrooms on Ash Trunk: Internal Decay, Not a Death Sentence; Magnolia Bark Splits: Normal Sloughing, No Treatment; Hackberry Bark Splitting, Powder & Ants: Heart Rot & Insects; Coral Bark Maple Losing Bark: Sunscald, Borers, or Natural Exfoliation?; Why Girdling a Tree Branch Kills It; Tree Bark Damage from Animals: Assessment and Recovery

Garden Articles

Mountain Ash Berry Failure and Tip Dieback: Pollination and Twig Borer

Locust Tree Bark Splitting and Dead Branches: Heat, Drought, and Proper Pruning

Maple Bark Peeling: Decay Fungi and Borer Prevention

Protecting Ash from Emerald Ash Borer in Illinois

Borers in Dying Willow: Wire Probing and Systemic Insecticide

Sapsucker Damage on Mountain Ash: Prevention with Tanglefoot

Lawn Mower Damage to Young Maple: Wound Care Steps

Plants

Assessing Elm Bark Flaking After Vine Removal

Bonita Ash Slow to Leaf Out: Normal or Borers?

Ash Tree with Cauliflower Clusters and Peeling Bark: Need Photos

Sapsucker Damage on a Young Tree: What to Do

Conifer Pitch Exudation: Bark Beetle Activity Assessment

Bark Shedding on Mature Mulberry: Stress, Lightning, or Decline?

Caring for a Live Christmas Tree Purchased at a Big-Box Store