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hairmetal4ever

So who knows about all the hybrid elms out there?

hairmetal4ever
10 years ago

I'm considering a Valley Forge or Princeton Ulmus americana, but might also plant one of the hybrids due to my fear of Elm Yellows eventually making its way here and wiping the Americans out despite DED resistance.

I've heard good things about some of the hybrid elms (usually derived from the Asian or European species out there)...most have good DED AND Elm Yellows resistance.

What are some of the ones you've tried and recommend?

Patriot and Accolade seem the most promising from what I've read...what can anyone tell me about those?

Comments (9)

  • bengz6westmd
    10 years ago

    Because of planting Siberian elms decades ago, many sib/slippery elms hybrids are around -- some on my lot. The result is what you'd expect, about half the resistance to elm yellows and DED of sib elms. Instead of dying in months or a yr, they die slowly over 3-6 yrs. So that hybrid is no solution.

    From what I can tell, pure Siberian and Chinese elms are the only ones with solid resistance to these diseases.

    Edit: Elm yellows is more sporadic and localized than DED, so some areas can avoid it and a "Valley Forge" might be OK. But mine died in a mere month after showing symptoms.

    This post was edited by beng on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 8:58

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I haven't heard one way or the other about EY in my area.

  • bengz6westmd
    10 years ago

    Prb'ly the only way to tell is observe elms in your area.

    If you really want it, plant an Amer elm & take your chances. Plant a Chinese elm if you want an elm, but don't want the risk.

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    You see a fair number of Slippery elms around here and some American. Most look OK except that japanese beetles eat them like it's their last meal.

  • scotjute Z8
    10 years ago

    Have you thought about trying Cedar Elm, native to Tx. and a few other adjacent states?

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I'll check out Cedar Elm. Is it DED resistant?

    As far as the hybrids and Asian cultivars...it's rather confusing.

    I've read mostly good things about Accolade, that it's DED and Yellows resistant and not preferred as food for the elm leaf beetle or Japanese beetle, i.e., it has clean foliage. Form closest to "classic" American elm of any of them, but smaller leaves and finer texture.

    Triumph seems to get mixed reviews, mostly in that it has (at least in youth) a "messier" shape and weaker wood, probably because of the U. pumila that makes up about 1/4 of its gene pool.

    Patriot looks decent, but I've read it's leaves get decimated by insects.

    I know there are others as well...

  • scotjute Z8
    10 years ago

    Cedar Elm is unaffected by DED down here. Unsure if the tree itself is resistant or we are just too hot and dry for DED to thrive.

  • bengz6westmd
    10 years ago

    Hair, here's some info on EY:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Elm yellows

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I'll try to get some pics next time. There are some elms planted around a Walgreens in Columbia, MD that look nice. I'm going to guess they are 'Accolade' - the leaves are too small to be U. americana, they're not U. parvifolia as the leaves are too large and the bark isn't right, and the foliage seems fairly unblemished and unbothered by leaf-feeding insects, unlike many other elms (U. parvifolia is usually not too bothered by them here).

    Last fall they turned a nice, clear yellow a couple weeks earlier than American Elms in the area.