Expert: Jim Hyland - 10/19/2009

Question
Recently we had some cows get loose and break off a Raywood ash at the base. The tree was about 1-1/2" in diameter. It has since sprouted growth from the base and the leaves are not Raywood ash. What type of rootstock is the Raywood Ash grafted on? The leaf appears similar to a Mulberry.

Answer
They could be grafted on another ash species but not another hardwood like mulberry. The ash leaves are compound where mulberry is a simple leaf.

Raywood leaf

http://trees.stanford.edu/images/Frax/angu01.jpg

http://www.reed.edu/trees/TreePages/FRAX.html

Mulberry

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/senior/fruits/mulbe3.htm


Leaves that sprout near the root will be larger then normal and sometimes shaped different but ash leaves will always be compound.