The Great British Elm Experiment

The Conservation Foundation’s Great British Elm Experiment has distributed many young elms propagated from a number of ‘parent trees’ –  healthy, mature elms growing at various sites around the country. 

 

The parents appear to be resistant or may have recovered or possibly never been subjected to Dutch elm disease.  We can only take cuttings and offer them for planting in good faith.  No guarantees can be given tor young elms however healthy their parent may appear.  Hence we stress the word ‘experiment’, but many of the young trees are now of an age when you might expect them to be affected by disease.  Earlier this year we contacted some elm enthusiasts to ask how their elms are doing and we were delighted with the response.  The photographs were taken in early spring and so do not show the trees in all their glory, and they still have a long way to grow before they will take on the appearance of mature elms, but our selection does show that they are doing well and so far disease-free.

 

Our selection includes:

 

 

 

Monkton School, Minster, Kent.

Boxworth ulmus minor planted 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HMP Hatfield, South Yorkshire.

Boxworth ulmus minor planted 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fred Rothwell’s elm.

Mellis ulmus minor planted 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Philippa’s elms, Ongar

Upper Swell ulmus procera,           Kirkby ulmus glabra              North Weald, ulmus minor