If your ash tree still has not come into leaf while everything else in your garden is well into spring growth, you are not imagining it. Ash trees are naturally one of the last to bud, but if yours is showing bare branches well into April, patchy or stunted growth, or blackened wilting shoots, ash dieback could be the reason.
It is worth understanding what you are dealing with. Here’s a simple guide from the team at Cork Tree Surgeons.
What Is Ash Dieback?
Ash dieback, known scientifically as Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, is a fungal disease that has spread across Ireland over the past decade. It affects ash trees of all ages and sizes, progressively damaging the tree from the tips of the branches inward. There is no cure. Once a tree is infected, the question becomes one of management rather than treatment.
How to Spot It
The signs are fairly recognisable once you know what to look for. In spring and summer, watch for leaves that wilt and turn black rather than unfurling normally. Affected shoots often bend into a distinctive shepherd’s crook shape. Diamond-shaped lesions can appear on the bark where branches meet the main stem. As the disease progresses, larger branches begin to die back, and the tree gradually loses its canopy.
In winter, the dead branches remain clearly visible while surrounding trees are dormant, which can make it easier to assess the extent of the damage.
What Should You Do?
Not every ash tree with dieback needs to come down immediately. Some trees show resilience, particularly younger, healthy specimens, and can be monitored over time. However, a significantly infected tree becomes structurally unpredictable. Dead branches drop without warning, and a weakened tree poses a very real risk to people and property.
The key is getting a proper assessment done sooner rather than later. At Cork Tree Surgeons, we can assess the extent of the infection, advise on whether removal is necessary, and carry out safe felling where needed. We can also discuss replacement planting options that suit your garden and the local environment.
If you have an ash tree and you are not sure what you are looking at this spring, do not leave it to chance. Get in touch with Cork Tree Surgeons for a free, no-obligation assessment.