Jon,

It's amazing that you're asking about the Shamel Ash. Looks like you and I are on the very same page when it comes to tree landscaping. First the Royal and now the Shamel Ash.

AZamigo is right, it's a variety of Ash. Unfortunately, the Arbor Day Foundation's website does not have this variety listed. Its botantical name is Fraxinus uhdei.

I bought one about a month ago at Summer Winds Nursery in Glendale. If you want to see a mature one, there is one planted in front of their building @ 64 Ave and Bell. Mine was planted 2 weeks ago and seems to be doing very well. They had 2 or 3 more when I bought mine. It was on sale for $120 - such a bargain. A 24" box, the trunk is probably 2" in diameter.

Happy tree shopping!

Mary

Just a heads up about Shamel ash trees here in the metro Phoenix area. This tree is especially vulnerable to damage/death caused by the carpenter worm, the larval form of the Leopard Moth. Dozens of Shamel ash trees were wiped out on John Wayne's ranch near Maricopa about 6 - 8 years ago. The problem was thought to be localized until trees started dying in the southeast valley near Queen Creek. Now the carpenter worm has been identified in Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler.

Unfortunately, there may be no symptoms until you see the holes where the adult moth has emerged and by then it is usually too late for any treatment.

Here is a link to more information on this insect pest.

Here is a link that might be useful: Carpenter Worm and Shamel Ash

Thanks for the info all - I just ordered one from Bakers.

Thanks, Jon

We have a Fan Tex Ash and it has been wonderfully heat tolerant. It doesn't get any more water than our other trees as well. It always looks great except for when the leaf cutter bees go to town. Hopefully your new Shamel will do great as well. I am not familiar with that particular cultivar but if it is anything like the Fan Tex it should do well for you.

aztreelvr do you know if the carpenter worm attacks other varieties of ash?

So far the carpenter worm seems to have an affinity for the Shamel Ash (Fraxinus uhdei) and its various cultivars such as Majestic Beauty (Fraxinus uhdei 'Monus').

This pest has now been identified in the central Phoenix area. Here is a link to a report by Dr. Andrew Backhaus on the carpenter worm - the ash tree species is not given but from the photo and age of the tree this could be an Arizona Ash. This is a serious problem.

Here is a link that might be useful: Carpenter Worm spreading to Phoenix ash trees

Just had the shamel planted. Even though it's young, it's still tall enough so one can look across the yard without it blocking views. Hopefully it will, in time, form a nice canopy.

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Just a tip. Remove the original nursery stake that is lashed to the trunk. Now that you have it tied using two poles and hose/wire (looks like a good job), the tree doesn't need that stake. Plus it will rub against the trunk and other branches as time goes by. It also shades that side of the trunk. Tissues on the trunk that remain in the shadow will actually elongate creating a trunk that will lean away from the nursery stake.

Thanks for the tip - I took the old stake and it's now holding up the frost cloth on another tree :)

I put in two Shamel Ash trees last year, 24" boxes. One survived the three day 26 degree weather in Phoenix, the other one suffered frost cracking from the ground up to the branches, and along the branches and is now dead (March). Also, one was infested with woolly aphids when delivered but an Orthenex product solved that. I think I'm going to put in a Tipu tree in a few weeks, they grow fast, no diseases.

I believe nurseries are selling the Fan-Tex Ash as a Shamel Ash; there is a big difference between the two. The Fan-Tex leaves are more smooth whereas the Shamel is saw-toothed. The Fan-Tex is also a better choice because it has far less root invasion if near a sidewalk or foundation.

Hope someone can answer my question.We planted 2 Shamel ash trees in our backyard. They are around 12 years old now.Are there different varieties of Shamel Ash? One is alot bigger than the other.The smaller one gives out small blackish clusters in the spring before it leaves out which dry up and fall off. The bigger one gives out large clusters of seeds,they kinda look like grapes custers,they start out green then turn brown and start dropping.What a mess!! Is there anything we can do to keep this tree from producing seeds every year? Other than the mess the seeds make all summer long, we have had no problems with them. They make great shade trees. Thanks for your help!

It sounds like one of your trees is male and the other female (the one with the seeds). Ash trees are dioecious, that is, there are separate male and female trees.

The size difference doesn't mean they aren't the same variety. There is a lot of individual difference in tree sizes just like there are short and tall people. The leaves should look the same on both male and female trees. I don't know if products used to stop olive production are licensed to use on ash trees, but you could check on that.

I have a Shamel Ash which was planted over four years ago. It is about 25 ft high and was doing great. It looses its leaves, usually in December and immediately starts new growth. This year the new growth was between 8" to 12" long when we had several frosts. All the new growth has died. Is there anything I can do , or should do, to try to keep this tree from dying?

We wanted a shade tree that had a single trunk with branches that start at eye level and fast growing. We purchased it at Moon Nursery in Mesa and was told the tree did not loose "all" its leaves and was frost resistant. (so much for not doing proper research myself)

Shamel Ash typically lose their leaves in December/January and leaf out again a month or so later. If it gets cold enough the new growth will get damaged by below-freezing temperatures. Even though you may get some tip die back, the tree will recover and produce more new leaves and shoots.

Wow. I a relieved to here that my ash trees lose their leaves in the winter. Got mine at Moon Valley and they told me only if it gets cold enough do they lose leaves. Guess it got cold enough!

I will watch for damage due to the carpenter worms.

For Shamel Ash trees, is there a specific type of fertilizer for this time of year?

We had 2 shamel ash trees planted by our landscaper. We now think they are two different types of trees. One has smaller leaves and has kept them so far. The other has larger leaves and almost all have dropped off in the last month. They both have 7 leaflets per leaf. Could they be different varities and if so, which is truly the Shamel and what could the other possibly be?