Species: Fraxinus americana (White Ash)
Address: 100 W. Jefferson Street
Coordinates: 38.032343, -78.481033
At 100 W. Jefferson Street stands the historic Magruder House, one of Charlottesville’s locally significant landmarks. Built in 1899, the home served as both the residence and private sanitarium of Dr. Edward May Magruder. The Magruder family lived here until 2001, when Christ Episcopal Church purchased the property to serve as its church offices.
In the front yard, you’ll find two mature white ash trees (Fraxinus americana). These trees are currently being treated by the City of Charlottesville to protect them from the invasive emerald ash borer, a beetle that has devastated ash populations throughout North America.
Across Jefferson Street, notice the row of green ash trees. Unlike the white ashes in front of the Magruder House, these trees have not been treated and have also been heavily pruned to accommodate nearby power lines. These neighboring trees illustrate both the subtle differences between two native ash species and the very different outcomes that result from management decisions in the face of emerald ash borer.