Ulmus minor - Elm

Ulmus minor, the Field Elm, was a large and beautiful deciduous tree emblematic of all our landscapes, before a formidable epidemic of Dutch elm disease decimated the large specimens in the 1970s. Today, it survives in a few gardens where it can reach a venerable age. Appreciated for the shade it provides in summer, useful for the small fauna of the garden, the field elm also offers beautiful autumn colours. A true relic of our indigenous flora, it is perfectly adapted to our climates, tolerating a wide range of neutral to basic soils, including heavy, calcareous, and fairly dry soils. This elm is reserved for large gardens.

Ulmus minor (syn. Ulmus campestris) belongs to the Ulmaceae family. It is native to a vast area covering Europe, Asia Minor, and North Africa. Nowadays, this elm can still be found here and there, in the form of coppices, regularly cut back due to the disease. A few rare individuals seem to escape the disease, and the species also survives in the form of attractive horticultural varieties with reduced growth. It is quite variable in appearance.

The field elm generally has an upright habit and a very wide crown. It is a large, hardy deciduous tree that grows quite quickly, reaching about 25m (82ft) in height and 18 to 20 m (59 to 66ft) in spread, depending on growing conditions. The bark that covers the trunk and branches is initially smooth, before cracking over time. It sometimes develops corky growths. The foliage resembles that of hazelnut and alder, but the lamina is asymmetrical at the base, at the petiole level. The leaves, measuring 8 to 10cm (3 to 4in) in length, are ovate-rounded, rough, and finely toothed along the edges. Initially tender green, they become a vivid green on the upper side, with the undersides punctuated by reddish glandular spots with small hairs. The foliage takes on beautiful golden yellow colours in autumn before falling. Ulmus minor produces inconspicuous flowering in March-April, before the leaves appear, with clusters of small red flowers developing on two-year-old branches. The female trees produce winged bi-coloured fruits, which are light red in the centre and lime green-yellow on the edges.

Grow the Field Elm in isolation, in a garden large enough to accommodate it. When space is not a constraint, its countryside character blends well with that of maples (Acer campestre, A. griseum), hornbeams, beech, and lime trees. This tree is usually planted for the long term, in a park alongside other very durable species such as oaks, cedars, chestnuts, horse chestnuts, and plane trees.