Disease resistant elms to be planted in a nature reserve

[Deb London]

Last year I was excited to discover a local reserve where White-letter Hairstreaks occur. I am reliably informed that disease resistant elms are to be planted in the reserve. Which hybrids (I assume hybrids) are likely to be being sold for the purpose and might they reach maturity? Thanks.

[htcdude]

Which reserve is that? (You can PM if you want, or not!)

Interesting that they're producing live trees now, I've not heard of that before. Or are they already an existing species?

Nige

[Deb London]

Dunno Nige.

Will PM later.

[Sawsicksteve]

IIRC, two or three years ago a bloke in Essex took loads of cuttings from one or two Elms that had remained unaffected by the dreaded DED.
Several conservation bodies were planning to plant these out on a landscape scale in southern England, can't remember anymore details but google is your friend.

[Deb London]

Very interesting. Will look those search terms up later. Thanks Steve.

[Hedgehoggy]

I heard about this on TV the other day, but can’t remember if it was on The One Show, Countryfile, or even the local news! Anyway here’s the link:

New elms return to British waterways - NFU Countryside

[Dorts]

I have always been led to believe that the White-letter Hairstreak much prefers Wych Elm, which has not been so devistated by Dutch Elm Disease as other elm species, and may well be the reason why it has survived in Britain despite the drastic reduction in mature Elms.
So if I were planting Elms for this great little butterfly, I'd plant Wych Elms.
Dorts.

[Deb London]

Thanks both.

The link is very interesting and I'm now wondering if the reserve has been selected to receive some saplings.

Thanks Dorts, I will have to have to learn the differences. When I see them, maybe I can say for sure. Interesting about WLHs preferring Wych Elm.

[Besnard Lake]

Hi,

I imagine the trees they are talking about are Ulmus americana 'Princeton' .
These are ded resistant but are American Elms. Prince Charles has planted them and I have planted around 40 of them in the past 5 years.

Whether the white letter hairstreak loves them is yet to be confirmed. I thought they were found on wych elm.

All the best

Bes

[Deb London]

Thanks Bes. I will have to take a crash course in elm ID this spring.

The WLHs that I know of are on hybrid elm trees (at least that is what I've been told). These are not resistant in any way, shape or form. They die back after maybe 10 - 20 years, and are re-incarnated as suckers from the base.

I have just read that the Wych Elm is very rare. I'm fairly sure that they are not Wych Elm.

I guess the butterfly has a really hard time of it, without access to the most appropriate species of elm, and having to find flowers on trees about to die. Not surprising that it is quite rare.