A close-up of a cluster of flowers at the end of March. The anthers split open to release pollen onto the wind. The seeds of the Wych Elm are surrounded by a flat wing to help wind dispersion. [4][5], Green gave a different clone, the Dutch Elm 'Major', as synonym of 'Gigantea'.[6]. Wych elm is a handsome park tree and its tough and very durable timber has been used in carpentry. A cultivar of the Wych Elm, 'Gigantea' is susceptible to Dutch Elm disease.. Cultivation. [2] A specimen at Kew was judged by Henry to be "not distinct enough to deserve a special name". The male dark red anthers stick out from the female ovary which can’t be seen in this photo. There are occasional survivors in the South. Wych Elm Tree Types. Wych Elm tree in April loaded with fruit before the leaves. A winged seed of this type is called a samara by botanists. The Kew specimen was a small tree with ascending branches. One tree was planted in 1897 as U. montana gigantea at the Dominion Arboretum, Ottawa, Canada. It grows well in upland areas and is common in Scotland. Herbarium leaf-specimens show a large orbicular wych elm leaf with a typically short petiole (see External links below).. Pests and diseases. The leaf margin is double serrated. The leaf is not the same size on either side of the central rib and is said to be asymmetric. [3] Herbarium leaf-specimens show a large orbicular wych elm leaf with a typically short petiole (see External links below). A cultivar of the Wych Elm, 'Gigantea' is susceptible to Dutch Elm disease. Wych Elm. The flowers come out before the leaves. The wood is very durable in wet conditions. There are usually 4 anthers per flower. The flowers are small, bisexual, protandrous, and wind-pollinated. The upper surface is rough to the touch, the lower more softly hairy. It was formerly a favourite timber of coffin-makers. It often branches near the base forming a dome-shaped crown. The short leaf-stalk is less than 10 mm long. It is susceptible to Dutch Elm Disease. They are flat and oval, appearing almost leaf like and green before the true leaf buds have opened, so that a Wych Elm in seed looks rather like a tree with young leaves. All elm leaves are asymmetric and this is a sure way to identify elms. European White Elm . [1] An U. montana gigantea was distributed by the Späth nursery, Berlin, in the 1890s and early 1900s. In Gaelic it is known as ‘leven’, as in Loch Leven in Kinross, and was valued for its roles in the dyeing of wool. Their most typical characteristic is the unequal base of the leaf-blade. [9], "Registration of cultivar names in Ulmus", Elm species, varieties, hybrids, hybrid cultivars and species cultivars, A. Ross Central Park = Central Park Splendor, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ulmus_glabra_%27Gigantea%27&oldid=889921167, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 28 March 2019, at 20:52. gigantea Hort. Wych Elm leaves are large. The leaf is not the same size on either side of the central rib and is said to be asymmetric. by Kirchner (1864). The clusters of tiny, bell-shaped, green flowers open in late February and March, well before the leaves. Each ovary develops into a fruit which is in the form of a winged seed. The tree is commonly grouped into a subspecies of the Ulmus genus composed of the following: Ulmus glabra: Characterized by its broad leaves, the tree is often recognized for its short, forked trunk and a low, broad crown. The Wych Elm hails from the genus Ulmus which includes dozens of different species. [7] Three specimens supplied by Späth to the RBGE in 1902 as U. montana gigantea may survive in Edinburgh, as it was the practice of the Garden to distribute trees about the city (viz. Description. the Wentworth Elm);[8] the current list of Living Accessions held in the Garden per se does not list the plant. Mature fruit in June when the tree is in full leaf. In Scotland wych elm is the more common species of elm. The seeds of Wych Elm are a valuable source of food form many kinds of small birds. It is native in damp woods, hedges and along streams. One tree was planted in 1897 as U. montana gigantea at the Dominion Arboretum, Ottawa, Canada. Intermittent colours in woollen yarns (by which a weaver could more easily create a pattern in the weave) could be introduced by way of an early form of tie-dyeing. The Wych Elm cultivar Ulmus glabra 'Gigantea' was listed as U. montana var. Elms are trees which flower before coming into leaf in spring. [3] Both Späth and the Hesse Nursery of Weener, Germany, supplied it in the 1930s. Each flower has male and female parts. Photo taken in mid April. It did not appear in Späth's 1903 catalogue. The upper leaf surface is very rough to the touch. They are often 3-pointed at the tip. There are 8 to 10 flowers in each cluster. The short leaf-stalk is less than 10 mm long. Isolated clumps of old trees still survive in upland areas and there is a large population in Edinburgh. The upper leaf surface is very rough to the touch. It is less prone to attack by Dutch elm disease than other elms, so that large trees may still be seen, particularly in Northern Britain. The Kew specimen was a small tree with ascending branches. The upper surface is rough to the touch, the lower more softly hairy. These are clustered together along the branches before the leaves come out at the end of April or early May. They are often 3-pointed at the tip. A skull is found in the Wych Elm which takes this finely crafted novel into the events of the past as experienced by the participants looking back from the present day. The fruit is flattened, broadly winged, penny-sized and light green, with a single seed in the centre. The young twigs are covered in coarse, rusty coloured hairs. It often branches near the base forming a dome-shaped crown. Wych elm is a deciduous tree up to 40 m in height. The leaves of European white elm are ovate, have an asymmetrical leaf base and are up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long and up to 7 cm (2.8 in) broad. The Wych Elm is native to Britain and recognised by its very large leaves. The leaves of Wych elm are ovate, have an asymmetrical leaf base and are up to 20 cm (9.8 in) long with a short petiole. Wych Elm leaves are large. All elm leaves are asymmetric and this is a sure way to identify elms. Wych elm is a deciduous tree up to 40 m in height. It was once used to make underground water pipes and is still used for groynes and harbour works.