Ulmus × hollandica 'Major'
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| Ulmus × hollandica |
|---|
 'Major', Brighton, UK |
| Hybrid parentage |
| U. glabra × U. minor |
| Cultivar |
| 'Major' |
| Origin |
| England |
Although all naturally occurring Field Elm Ulmus minor × Wych Elm U. glabra hybrids are loosely termed 'Dutch elm', Ulmus × hollandica 'Major' is a distinctive English cultivar that came to be known specifically as the Dutch Elm. Before the advent of Dutch elm disease, the tree often attained a height of over 30 m, with a short bole and irregular, wide-spreading branches. The bark of the trunk is dark, and deeply fissured. The leaves are oval, < 12 cm long by 7 cm wide, the top surface dark green and glossy, with a long serrated point at the apex. The petal-less, wind-pollinated flowers are red, and produced in spring in large clusters of up to 50. The obovate samarae are up to 25 mm long by 18 mm broad. The cultivar may be distinguished from other elms by the corky ridges that occur only on the epicormic branches of the trunk. The seed is rarely viable, but the tree suckers profusely from roots [1] [2] [3]. In North America it is grown at several arboreta and along the streets of Portland, Oregon. The cultivar is also grown in parks in Australia, notably Melbourne, and New Zealand. 'Major' is also known to have been marketed (as U. montana gigantea) in Poland in the 19th century by the Ulrich nursery [4], Warsaw, and may still survive in Eastern Europe.
In the British Isles it is still commonly found as a sucker. It is usually more vigorous than the English elm U. procera, with which it is often confused. Large Dutch Elm sucker populations have been found in south west Wales, Cornwall and along the south coast of England. Mature trees are rare, except in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex; The Level, in Brighton, alone has over 80 specimens in a double avenue. Other fine trees can be seen in the city along the London Road and in private gardens; there are also good examples in Edinburgh.
Contents |
[edit] Arboreta etc. accessions
[edit] North America
- Arnold Arboretum, acc. no. 241-98, from cultivated material.
- Longwood Gardens, acc. no. L-0600, unrecorded provenance.
- Morton Arboretum, acc. nos. 1114-25, 338-46.
[edit] Europe
- Brighton & Hove City Council, UK, NCCPG Elm Collection. Over 1000 trees grow here. Often mistaken for English elm. The finest are on the Preston/London Road (A27). These are the UK Champions. There are also trees occupying many cemeteries such as Woodvale and St. Nicholas Churchyard. Over 80 trees grow with some 50 English elms at the Level, Brighton. Other sites include The Royal Pavilion Gardens; Old Steine War Memorial; Freshfield Road (roadside pollards); Surrenden Road and Ovingdean Hall School.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Wakehurst Place, UK, acc. no. 1973-20146.
[edit] Australasia
- Eastwoodhill Arboretum [2], Gisborne, New Zealand, 10 trees, details not known.
[edit] Nurseries
[edit] Australasia
- Established Tree Planters Pty. Ltd., Wandin, Victoria, Australia. [3]
[edit] Synonymy
- Ulmus montana (: glabra) var. gigantea Hort.: Kirchner[4], in Petzold[5] & Kirchner, Arb. Muscav. 564, 1864
- ?Ulmus montana (: glabra) var. macrophylla fastigiata Hort.: Nicholson, Kew Hand-List Trees & Shrubs, 2: 141, 1896.
- Ulmus praestans: Beterams, Mitt. Deut. Dendr. Ges. 20: 250, 1911.
[edit] References
- ^ Bean, W. J. (1981). Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain, 7th edition. Murray, London.
- ^ Elwes, H. J. & Henry, A. (1913). The Trees of Great Britain & Ireland. Vol. VII. pp 1848-1929. Private publication. [1]
- ^ Richens, R. H. (1983). Elm. Cambridge University Press.
- ^ Ulrich, C. (1894), Katalog Drzew i Krezewow, C. Ulrich, Rok 1893-94, Warszawa
