Landscape & Urban Design Issue 63 2023 | Page 34

GARDEN DESIGN

Re-Elming Britain with Resista ® Elms

Over 50 years of breeding and cross breeding has led to the Resista ® Elm range . These have fantastic form , leaf colour , vigour and hardiness and have been bred to be 100 % resistant to Dutch Elm Disease . Hillier Nurseries are proud to be the sole UK grower and supplier of Resista ® Elms consisting of Ulmus ‘ New Horizon ’, Ulmus Fiorente and Ulmus ‘ Rebona ’.
Tracing provenence
While they are on the Hillier nursery , each Resista ® Elm tree is micro-chipped so they are all traceable . This is important to protect the decades of research and should any problems arise , their provenance can be traced . Tens of thousands of these new resistant Elms have now been planted the length and breadth of the British Isles and in Europe — from Madrid to the Steppes of Russia – with no incident of any succumbing to Dutch Elm Disease .
Protecting an endangered species
A further positive outcome has been the ability of the Elms to become a habitat for the endangered White-letter Hairstreak butterfly that relies on the Elm trees to breed . This once common butterfly experienced a catastrophic decline in population in line with the demise of the native Elm .
Lungs of the city
These Elms screen pollutants out of the air , they easily adapt to urban environment , tolerate stress be it drought , frost , salt , high water , compacted soil – they grow vigorously and they are beautiful : Elms are perfect trees for cities .
Hillier Nurseries is the exclusive partner for all the Resista ® Elm varieties in the UK and Ireland .
Characteristics of Resista ® Elms
• 100 % resistant to Dutch Elm Disease
• Tolerant of pollution
• Tolerant of salt ( making them first class coastal trees )
• Tolerant of drought
• Tolerant of short-term waterlogging
• Very quick establishment
• Fast growing
• Tolerant of weather extremes – hot and cold temperatures
• Great for insects , in particular the endangered White-letter Hairstreak butterfly
Resista ® Elm Cultivars
Ulmus ‘ Rebona ’ Its leaves are a little smaller and darker shades of emerald . This Elm is extremely tolerant of adverse conditions . It will succeed in highly exposed locations , even next to the coast with salt spray .
Ulmus New Horizon
This medium to large tree forms an attractive rounded canopy in maturity . The trunk thickens fast ; the dense growing , healthy leaves create a highly aesthetic appearance .
Ulmus ‘ Fiorente ’ Strikingly beautiful . Its dominant central leader is surrounded by graceful branches that flow and cascade upwards . A hybrid of Ulmus pumila and Ulmus minor .
Contact to discuss Resista ® Elms for your project : 01794 368 733 or email trees @ hillier . co . uk
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