''Ulmus'' 'Columella' is a Dutch

elm Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the flowering plant genus ''Ulmus'' in the plant family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of Nor ...

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

raised by the Dorschkamp Research Institute for Forestry & Landscape Planning,

Wageningen Wageningen () is a municipality and a historic city in the central Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland. It is famous for Wageningen University, which specialises in life sciences. The municipality had a population of in , of which many ...

, from a selfed or openly pollinated seedling of the hybrid clone ' Plantyn' sown in 1967. It was released for sale in 1989 after proving extremely resistant to

Dutch elm disease Dutch elm disease (DED) is caused by a member of the sac fungi (Ascomycota) affecting elm trees, and is spread by elm bark beetles. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease was accidentally introduced into America, Europe, ...

following inoculation with unnaturally high doses of the pathogen, ''

Ophiostoma novo-ulmi ''Ophiostoma'' is a genus of fungi within the family Ophiostomataceae. It was circumscribed in 1919 by mycologists Hans Sydow and Paul Sydow. Species *'' Ophiostoma adjuncti'' *''Ophiostoma ainoae'' *'' Ophiostoma allantosporum'' *'' Ophiostoma ...

''. However, propagated by

grafting Grafting or graftage is a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion () while the lower part is called the rootstock. The succ ...

onto

wych elm ''Ulmus glabra'' Hudson, the wych elm or Scots elm, has the widest range of the European elm species, from Ireland eastwards to the Urals, and from the Arctic Circle south to the mountains of the Peloponnese and Sicily, where the species reaches ...

rootstocks A rootstock is part of a plant, often an underground part, from which new above-ground growth can be produced. It could also be described as a stem with a well developed root system, to which a bud from another plant is grafted. It can refer to a ...

, graft failure owing to incompatibility has become a common occurrence in the Netherlands.

Description

'Columella' makes a tall, fastigiate tree with very upright branches, but broadens in later year

http://www.kemphaan.nl/boomverhalen/wg.php?meer=60]. The rough, rounded, and twisted leaves, < long, are the result of a Dominance (genetics), recessive gene inherited from its

Exeter elm ''Ulmus'' 'Exoniensis', the Exeter elm, was discovered near Exeter, England, in 1826, and propagated by the Ford & Please nursery in that city.Bean, W. J. (1981). ''Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain'', 7th edition. Murray, LondonRichens, ...

ancestor, and are arranged in asymmetric clusters on short branchlets. The

samara Samara ( rus, Сама́ра, p=sɐˈmarə), known from 1935 to 1991 as Kuybyshev (; ), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara rivers, with a population ...

e, broadly obovate, are long by 10–12 mm wide. Image:Columella leaves 1.jpg Image:Columella flowers.jpg Image:Columella samarae.jpg

Pests and diseases

Rated 5 out of 5,Heybroek, H. M., Goudzwaard, L, Kaljee, H. (2009). ''Iep of olm, karakterboom van de Lage Landen'' (:Elm, a tree with character of the Low Countries). KNNV, Uitgeverij. 'Columella' has a very high resistance to

Cultivation

Wind resistant, the tree has been planted throughout the Netherlands, where its columnar shape has made it popular as a

street tree Urban forestry is the care and management of single trees and tree populations in urban settings for the purpose of improving the urban environment. Urban forestry involves both planning and management, including the programming of care and ...

. It is commonly found in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

, where it has been widely planted as a replacement for the similarly fastigiate Guernsey Elm, ''U. minor'' 'Sarniensis'br>
itself a replacement for the Belgian Elm, Ulmus 'Belgica', ''Ulmus × hollandica'' 'Belgica', which had succumbed so readily to the earlier strain of Dutch elm disease after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. 'Columella' has also been planted to replace Guernsey Elm in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

.Established 'Columella' plantings in Castle Terrace and Glengyle Terrace; recent plantings in Bellevue Place and

Bruntsfield Links Bruntsfield Links is of open parkland in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh, immediately to the south-west of the adjoining Meadows. Unlike The Meadows, which formerly contained a loch drained by the end of the 18th century, Bruntsfield Links has always ...

. In trials conducted by

Butterfly Conservation Butterfly Conservation (BC) is a UK-wide nonprofit environmentalist organization and charity dedicated to conserving butterflies, moths, and the environment. The charity uses its research to provide advice on how to conserve and restore butterfl ...

in southern

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

, England, 'Columella' was the only cultivar to become distressed during the drought of 2006, shedding most of its foliage by early August; a trait possibly inherited from one of the tree's ancestors, the Himalayan elm ''

Ulmus wallichiana ''Ulmus wallichiana'' Planch., the Himalayan elm, also known as the Kashmir elm and Bhutan elm, is a mountain tree ranging from central Nuristan in Afghanistan, through northern Pakistan and northern India to western Nepal at elevations of 800&n ...

''. 'Columella' first flowered aged 8 years, in March; the resultant seeds were found to have a moderate viability. Butterfly Conservation (2023). ''Disease-resistant elm cultivars'

Butterfly Conservation, Lulworth, England. Brookes, A. H. (2022). ''Great Fontley Elm Trial, 2022 Report''. Butterfly Conservation, Lulworth, UK. 'Columella' featured in New Zealand government trials during the 1990s at the Hortresearch station,

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...

Hybrid cultivars

*Clone FL 666 ( Heybroek's 405* × 'Columella'), ',

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

. Not in commerce. *(''U. × hollandica'' × ''U. minor'') *Clone FL 589 ( 'San Zanobi' × 'Columella'), Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante, Florence. Not in commerce.

Etymology

The hybrid is named for the Roman agronomist

Columella Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (; Arabic: , 4 – ) was a prominent writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire. His ' in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture, together with the ...

, who introduced the Atinian elm (now more commonly known as the

English elm The field elm (''Ulmus minor'') cultivar 'Atinia' , commonly known as the English elm, formerly common elm and horse may, Republished 1978 by EP Publishing, Wakefield. and more lately the Atinian elm was, before the spread of Dutch elm disea ...

) to Spain from Italy circa .

Accessions

North America

United States National Arboretum The United States National Arboretum is an arboretum in northeast Washington, D.C., operated by the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. It was established in 1927 by an act of Congress after a campaign by USDA C ...

, Washington, D.C., US. Acc. no. Q28832 (quarantine)

Europe

Monthodon Monthodon () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. Population Sights * Arboretum de la Petite Loiterie See also *Communes of the Indre-et-Loire department The following is a list of the 272 communes of the Indre ...

, France. No details available. *

Brighton and Hove Brighton and Hove () is a city and unitary authority in East Sussex, England. It consists primarily of the settlements of Brighton and Hove, alongside neighbouring villages. Often referred to synonymously as Brighton, the City of Brighton an ...

City Council, UK.

Plant Heritage Plant Heritage, formerly known as the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens (NCCPG), is a botanical conservation organisation in the United Kingdom and a registered charity. It was founded in 1978 to combine the talents of bo ...

Elm Collection. East Drive, Queen's Park. *

Grange Farm Arboretum The Grange Farm Arboretum is a small private arboretum comprising 3 hectares accommodating over 800 trees, mostly native and ornamental species or cultivars, notably oaks, ashes, walnuts and elms, growing on a calcareous loam.Ostler, J. (2009) ...

Sutton St James Sutton St James is a village and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England, about south-west of Long Sutton. Lying in the Lincolnshire Fens, Sutton St James did not exist at the time of the 1086 ''Domesday Book''. Su ...

, Spalding,

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershir ...

, UK. Acc. no. 818. *Great

Fontley Funtley – from the Anglo-Saxon, "Funtaleg", "spring field (clearing)", is a hamlet or exurb north of Fareham, Hampshire, England. It forms a projection towards the South Downs National Park and is generally included within Fareham's popul ...

Fareham Fareham ( ) is a market town at the north-west tip of Portsmouth Harbour, between the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton in south east Hampshire, England. It gives its name to the Borough of Fareham. It was historically an important manufac ...

, UK.

Elm Trials plantation, planted 2003. *

Wijdemeren City Council Wijdemeren () is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland, on the western border of the Gooi region. Wijdemeren contains many lakes. In the north(east) ''Spiegelplas'' and ''Ankeveense Plassen'', in the (south)west ''Lo ...

, Netherlands. Elm Collection, first 3 planted ~1990

Loosdrecht Loosdrecht () is a town in the municipality of Wijdemeren, North Holland North Holland ( nl, Noord-Holland, ) is a province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland ...

Nurseries

Europe

*Batouwe Boomkwekerijen B.V

Dodewaard Dodewaard is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of Neder-Betuwe, and lies about 7 km south of Wageningen. Dodewaard was a separate municipality until 2002, when it became a part of Kesteren. Befo ...

, Netherlands. Potted whips. *Boomwekerijen 'De Batterijen

Ochten Ochten is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of Neder-Betuwe, and lies about 10 km southwest of Wageningen. Ochten was a separate municipality until 1818, when it was divided into two parts, Echte ...

, Netherlands. *Boomkwekerij 't Herenlan

Randwijk, Netherlands. *Coles Nurserie

Thurnby Thurnby is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Thurnby and Bushby, in the Harborough district, in the county of Leicestershire, England. It is just east of Leicester's city boundaries. Thurnby village proper is set to ...

, Leicester, UK. *

Hillier Nurseries Hillier Nurseries is a horticultural business which was founded by Edwin Hillier in 1864 as a florist and plant nursery. It expanded as a family business, especially when managed by grandson Harold Hillier Sir Harold George Hillier (2 January ...

br>

Ampfield Ampfield is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Test Valley in Hampshire, England, between Romsey, Eastleigh, and Winchester. It had a population at the 2001 census of 1,474, increasing to 1,583 at the 2011 Census. Geography Ampfield ...

, UK. *Lorenz von Ehren,

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...

, Germany

*Noordplan

Glimmen Glimmen is a village in the northeastern Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Groningen, about 10 kilometres from the city. It had a population of around 1,342 in 2021. The river Drentsche Aa flows past the village, nearby the ''Huis ...

, Netherlands. *Paramount Plants & Gardens Lt

Enfield, London, Enfield, London, UK. *PlantenTuin Esvel

Boskoop Boskoop () is a town in the province of South Holland. It was a separate municipality until it merged into Alphen aan den Rijn in 2014. The town had a population of 15,050 in 2012 and covers an area of of which is water. It's the world's bigges ...

, Netherlands. *UmbraFlo

Spello Spello (in Antiquity: Hispellum) is an ancient town and ''comune'' (township) of Italy, in the province of Perugia in eastern-central Umbria, on the lower southern flank of Mt. Subasio. It is 6 km (4 mi) NNW of Foligno and 10 km ...

, Italy. *Van Den Berk (UK) Ltd.

London, UK *Westerveld Boomkwekerij B.

Opheusden Opheusden is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of Neder-Betuwe, and lies some 5 km south-west of Wageningen. Opheusden (or "Heusden", as it was known then) was a separate municipality until 1818, ...

, Netherlands.

References

{{Elm species, varieties, hybrids, hybrid cultivars and species cultivars , state=collapsed Hybrid elm cultivar Ulmus articles with images Ulmus