Knowledgebase
Is this a mountain ash tree #780768
Asked January 25, 2022, 11:39 AM EST
Hi. I am wondering: 1) is this a mountain ash 2) why are the berries already shriveled and dark (zone 6). They were orange. 3) the bark was damaged by a deer. Is it healed? 4) If I transplant it from a crowded shady area to a sunny area this time of year will it have a chance to survive and provide longer lasting berries next year? Thank you!
Oakland County Michigan
Expert Response
Your photos uploaded as a .gif file and it is impossible to see the individual photos well enough to determine what type of tree it is. They just flash by. Can you reload the photos as individual .jpg files?
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2832 Angelus Pines Dr.
Waterford, MI 48329
Unfortunately, no. Can you resize the images to be smaller?
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2832 Angelus Pines Dr.
Waterford, MI 48329
Yes, both of those work well. Thanks!
This does appear to be a mountain ash. It could be one of 3 species (see Sometimes Confused With section of https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/sorbus/americana/). The fruits often shrivel after frost, but they could also be shriveled because of fire blight, https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sorbus-americana/.
The bark does look healed. The tree looks pretty large to move, but if you have the equipment to dig up a large enough root ball and the ground isn't frozen, you can move it this time of year. Just transplanting it won't mean you will have longer lasting fruits though.
I hope that helps your decision on how to care for the tree.