Chichester Elm

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The Chichester Elm is probably the original U. x hollandica Vegeta, but was often confused with the later Huntingdon Elm hybrid by nineteenth century writers. While its provenance remains obscure, it was most likely named for Chichester Hall, Rawreth, near Danbury, in Essex, England, the home of Thomas Holt-White FRS, brother of the naturalist Gilbert White. Examples of the tree, identified as 'a smooth leaf wych elm' were presented by the Rev. Adam Buddle to the Chelsea Physic Garden in 1711. Buddle held a living near Rawreth.

Like other elms in England, the tree was devastated by Dutch Elm Disease, but notable examples survive, courtesy of their isolation from diseased stock, at Queens College Cambridge, where two trees are now approaching 44m in height, and in the Chapelfield Gardens, Norwich. It was from Norwich that the first Chichester Elms were known to have been marketed in 1801 by nurseryman George Lindley, father of the eminent botanist Professor John Lindley FRS. However, the link between Norwich and Chichester Hall is not known, nor is the origin of the claimed source of the tree in 19th century catalogues as 'North America'.