Ratings Tough sites: Appearance: Maintenance:

Reviewer: Darren DeStefano Washington , DC

Review:
The American elm is with out question the aristocrat of the urban forest and with good reason, the vigorous growth, stately architecture, and amazing tolerance of poor conditions and root disturbance are unmatched. These attributes led to the mass planting of the species in the post war era which was followed by the Dutch Elm Disease (DED) epidemic, a valuable lesson in species diversity. DED decimated the elm population in the US and Euorpe and essentially eliminated the species from urban use, however the American elm is not dead, Washington has more than 10,000 in the city including the national mall. Recently the elm has begun to enjoy a renaissance, the cultivar 'Princeton' introduced from Princeton Nurseries in NJ in the 1960's is highly tolerant of the disease and is being planted on the streets of Washington by the thousands, mostly by the Casey Tree Foundation. There are also fungicidal treatments that can administered to mature specimens suffering with disease, which is an integral part of maintaining the existing elms in Washington. I would encourage the usage of this now seldom planted species, despite its obvious risks.

The Virginia Urban Street Tree Selector Virginia Tech Forestry Department