Ulmus minor seed

LATIN NAME: ULMUS MINOR

COMMON NAME: Field Elm

In the hedgerows and the open country of Europe and the near east, the field elm grows as a tall, rugged, deciduous tree with the small, doubly toothed, rough-surfaced leaves and the dense clusters of small, reddish flowers in the early spring, the round, papery, smooth-edged winged fruits following before the leaves unfold. In time it steadily becomes a rounded crown, reaching 5-10 metres. In good conditions it grows a dense, bushy clump, staying under a metre.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The field elm comes up often in the studies of the European lowland trees, its rough leaves and its early flowering keeping it in view in the work on the elm diseases and the hedgerow trees of the farmed countryside. The research looks at the way the reddish flowers open before the leaves, the smooth-edged fruits spin down in the spring wind, and the seed biology of the short-lived, green seeds.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the hedgerow and the farm garden, the field elm gives the dense shade and the tough shelter that has shielded the fields for centuries. The early flowers feed the first bees of the year, the timber has served the gates and the wagon frames, and the tree makes the fine hedgerow tree, the shelter-belt tree and the tough country tree. It is a tree for the open, deep, fertile and well-drained place.

To grow the Field Elm from seed, press the fresh winged seeds onto moist soil without delay.

Press the fresh winged seeds onto moist soil without delay, and keep the young trees in the open, sunny spot. The papery fruits spin down with the spring.

LATIN NAME: Ulmus minor

COMMON NAME: Field Elm, Smooth-leaved Elm, Common Elm

The field elm is a tree of the old European countryside, and it has stood in the fields and along the lanes for centuries. The plant becomes a compact, leafy clump, staying under a metre. It is a tough, long-lived tree, and for generations it was one of the most familiar trees of the European landscape, valued for its shade, its timber and its shelter, before the great elm disease changed its fortunes.

The field elm belongs to the elm family, Ulmaceae, and its natural range is predominantly southern Europe, extending to Asia Minor and Iran, with northern outposts on the Baltic islands. It is by far the most variable of the European elms, and its many forms and hybrids have long been a subject of study and debate.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The field elm has a genuine and growing place in both botanical and ecological research. It is the most variable of the European elms, and its taxonomy has long been a matter of contention, so botanists have studied its many forms, its hybrids and its relationships with the other European elms, making it a classic subject in plant taxonomy. The tree has also been studied extensively in the research on Dutch elm disease, the devastating fungal disease that swept through Europe and North America, and researchers have examined the disease, the resistance of different elms and the breeding of resistant trees, in the effort to restore the elms to the landscape. The tree has also been studied in forestry and ecology for its role in the European countryside, its timber and its shelter value. For a tree of such history and such scientific importance, the field elm has a rich and continuing record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, the field elm is a generous tree of the old countryside. Its early flowers feed bees and other insects in spring, its winged seeds feed birds and small mammals, and its broad crown gives shelter and nesting sites for a great range of wildlife, while it has stood in the fields and hedges of Europe for centuries.

Its economic value is historic and real. The tough, durable wood was used for centuries for furniture, floorboards and boat building, the tree was valued for its shade and shelter in the fields, and its leaves were once fed to livestock in times of scarcity. For a grower, the field elm is a historic and valuable tree, and for a gardener it brings the character of the old countryside. The seeds are easy — sow them fresh in a pot of moist compost in spring, keep them lightly covered and gently watered, and theyll sprout within a couple of weeks, the little trees growing on steadily into tough, handsome elms.