|
|
Plant of the Week
Siberian Elm
Latin: Ulmus pumila
I grew up in Oklahoma so one of my favorite sayings used to be "I never met a
tree I didn’t like -- except for the Siberian elm." I guess I’ve mellowed
because now I even like Siberian elms. Don’t get me wrong -- it is truly a
dreadful tree with almost no redeeming features -- except for its toughness.
Siberian elm grows up to 60 feet tall and 40 feet wide. Older trees have gray
trunks with somewhat weeping branches and an open habit of growth. The tree is
very fast growing. Its wood is brittle and very susceptible to breakage in ice
storms. Branches are twiggy with dark green leaves up to 2 1/2 inches long that
look like the typical elm leaf.
Some argue this tree would have been best left in the cold wastes of Siberia but
the story of how it got here and why it is so common today is part of the tree’s
"charm."
At the beginning of this century the federal government, namely the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and its Bureau of Plant Introduction, embarked on a
series of plant collecting trips to the far corners of the world to bring back
useful plants. One of their most successful plant explorers was Frank Meyer
(1875-1918). Meyer made four extended trips into the Far East, including a
two-year swing through Siberia. There he collected hardy forms of alfalfa,
clovers, fruits and our friend, the Siberian elm. In addition to this elm and
many other woody plants, Meyer is remembered today for his introductions of
soybeans which helped establish the American soybean industry, for Meyer’s
zoysiagrass and the ubiquitous Bradford pear. He died under mysterious
circumstances while in China seeing to the collection of pear seeds.
Meyer’s Siberian elm finally made it to Mandan, N.D., where Lewis and Clark
overwintered on their voyage of discovery, and the USDA maintains an experiment
station. The tree flourished in that climate, and then, as the song says, the
Depression and Dust Bowl blew in like a cold northern wind. USDA scientists
began looking for plants that would serve as a wind break and grow in the dry,
brutal climate that existed during the 30s in the Great Plains. The Siberian elm
fit the bill, as it was fast growing and would grow almost anywhere.
Once the tree was widely planted, its flaws became readily apparent. The biggest
of these is elm leaf beetle, which shreds the leaves each summer and turns the
foliage brown by August. Its susceptibility to ice storm damage also showed up
early.
Otherwise, the tree is tough as nails and is now common throughout the country.
In the 1950s it began to be sold nationwide on the back of the Sunday paper
magazine section as a hedge plant to replace privet. This must be one of the
worst horticultural ideas of all time, yet hundreds of thousands of trees were
sold and it spread to all corners of the U.S.
The tree is resistant to Dutch elm disease so it has been used in breeding
programs to produce disease resistant selections such as the Urban and Regal
elms which are occasionally met with in the trade. Unfortunately, these hybrids
are also fodder for the elm leaf beetle. The perfect plant does not exist, and
certainly the Siberian elm resides far from the mark of perfection, yet this
tough plant is a part of our great American plant community and may yet find
places where its virtues can be appreciated.
By: Gerald Klingaman, retired
Extension Horticulturist
- Ornamentals
Extension News -
January 8, 1999
Back to Archives E - H
Back to Archives Q - T
|
