| Ulmus hybrid | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Hybrid parentage | 'Plantyn' × 'Plantyn' selfed |
| Cultivar |
'Wanoux' VADA |
| Origin | Netherlands |
The elm cultivar 'Wanoux' (VADA) is a Dutch development derived from the crossing of the hybrid 'Plantyn' with another selfed (self-pollinated) specimen of 'Plantyn'. Originally identified as clone No. 762, it was selected for assessment by the French Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), which patented it as 'Wanoux' (VADA) in 2006.
Contents |
'Wanoux' (VADA) is a more fastigiate tree primarily intended for street planting. The glossy, dark-green leaves, < 11 cm long by 8 cm wide, are coarsely toothed and have conspicuous venation [1]
Tests in France by INRA found the tree to be 'highly resistant' to Dutch elm disease, exhibiting the lowest wilting percentage of all the clones trialled, making it comparable with 'Sapporo Autumn Gold' [2]
In trials in southern England, the leaves were found to remain completely free of Black Spot [3].
'VADA' is a fairly vigorous cultivar, attaining a height of 14 m at 20 years of age. In trials conducted by Butterfly Conservation in England, the tree has proven tolerant of waterlogged ground in winter, surviving over three months' inundation on poorly-drained Brickearth soils at Horsea Island in Portsmouth Harbour. The tree is reputedly easily propagated from cuttings.
'VADA' has been introduced to North America, with the arrival of two small specimens at the National Arboretum, Washington, D.C. in November, 2010; it is not known to have been introduced to Australasia.
Former French prime minister Lionel Jospin insisted on planting an elm, the tree of the 'Left' when, in keeping with tradition, he was obliged to plant a tree in the garden of the Hôtel Matignon, his official residence in Paris, in 1998. He chose 'VADA', then still simply known by its Dutch trial identity of '762'.
The tradename 'VADA' is the ancient Roman name for the town of Wageningen, in the Netherlands, where the clone was raised.