Help me bring back the American Elm!

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cbrarick

Wildman CT
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For a couple of decades I've had the only American Elm known to exist in my city, and have collected and given away seed for quite some time.
I don't really know too much about mine, as i was given a small seedling by an elderly gentleman back in 2002. He passed away long before I knew enough about elms to ask if he knew it's history.
Dutch elm disease did come thru my area and wiped out all the other elms. In 2000, my city did a tree survey to become a tree city USA and the arborist who did it actually spent time to tell me I had the only one he could find in my city.
All of my requests for 2023 seed are now done.
I still have a kitchen garbage bag full of seed, and I want to share it for free!
Just so you know, I collect the seed off my deck when completely dry, and bring it indoors to stay, and knock on wood, never had a problem with mold doing it this way
I never sell the seed, so I don't do any testing on it. People tell me it does get them trees. I don't know the germination rate, though.

Understand that elms, once a staple of Americana, found throughout the US , died en masse due to dutch elm disease.
I can't tell you why mine continues to thrive, but it does. It's seed has produced elm that thrive in places where dutch elm was seen not too long ago.

American Elms are precocious trees that grow fast! That makes their wood not so strong.
They tend to hold their leaves as long as a sugar maple, so early season snows can be problematic
They put out roots right at the surface, but you can rebury them. I've done that several times with my tree. I wouldn't put it on a curb, however.....even though cities used to do that because they really don't care too much about the environment they are in - cold, hot, dry, wet. Seem to be pollution resistant, as well.

so pm me and i'll give you an address to send a self addressed stamped envelope (or whatever else)
I'll fill it up and send it back.
if your state or local government has a ban on the sharing of seed, please don't ask for any. I will take your request to be legal in your neck of the woods.

When 2023 seed runs out, I'll have to wait to this year's seed but I'll post that if I reach that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulmus_americana
 
lots of likes, but no takers!

Don't forget the seed is FREE you just gotta send me an envelope with a stamp on it.
 
My city has a huge # of elms. It was by far the most popular tree to plant in a city on the dry prairies. We are getting a few Dutch Elm trees every year and the city is trying (probably in vain) to cut them out. They replace them with other varieties like green ash because we don't have any issues with ash borer beetles. Unfortunately about 90% of the elms are male. I bet you didn't know they were sexed! Anyway, the male elms are the one who cast out clouds of seeds every spring, wreaking havoc on my allergies. The horticulturists in the city specifically planted more males than females for some unknown reason. I wish they would open up the variety of planted trees but there are only so many types that will grow in Zone 2 and 3 type of conditions.
 
I've noticed some American elm trees just off my backyard in an unimproved area of a city park. Must have been isolated enough or came up after the Dutch elm blight of the 60's. Elmhurst, Illinois was named after the tree as they had a lot of them. In the 60's, virtually all of them had to be cut down due to Dutch elm disease. They lost their namesake tree.
When I discovered the elm trees in the park, I first saw their leaves on the ground and nearly had a spaz attack as I thought they all died during the outbreak in the mid 60's. That finding made me smile. There's also a large oak tree back there that is so massive reminds me of a mini redwood tree. It's the largest oak I've ever seen. Fortunately it's in a protected park as are the elms. Kurt
 
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