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| | | Elm (Ulmus) We don't sell any varieties of Elm. We're surrounded by them in the hedgerows hereabouts as - fortunately - they sucker so freely and lay relatively well - but leave them to grow to 20 feet and they succumb to Dutch Elm disease. The disease is a fungus born by elm bark beetles, which blocks trees' capillaries, and wiped out all the mature trees in England in the 70s, with the exception of pockets like Brighton.
Interestingly, the archaeological record suggests this is not the first time elm numbers have dramatically collapsed - and recovered. The fungus itself is attacked by viruses, which are constantly mutating, and perhaps as the number of trees falls so does the beetle population. There are some hybrids on the market now which are said to be resistant - most notably the Princeton Elm, which we've planted and are currently monitoring, and Hillier's "New Horizon" hybrid. It's an important tree for a number of reasons. The wood was used everywhere, from boat bottoms to coffin boards; in our house you can find it in the roof and, typically, used as stair treads. Among the species dependent on it is the White Hairstreak butterfly.
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