Ulmus 'Horizontalis'

The Wych Elm cultivar ''Ulmus glabra'' 'Horizontalis', commonly known as the Weeping Wych Elm or Horizontal Elm, was discovered in a Perth nursery circa 1816. The tree was originally identified as 'Pendula' by Loddiges (London), in his catalogue of 1836, a name adopted by Loudon two years later i
''Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum'', 3: 1398, 1838
but later sunk as a synonym for 'Horizontalis'.

Description

'Horizontalis' has branches that extend out horizontally with weeping branchlets. It is usually grafted onto a tall understock of '' Ulmus glabra'' to effectively display its weeping habit. The tree can eventually grow to a height of 20 metres with a similar spread. It can be distinguished from the related Camperdown Elm by its more spreading and flattened canopy and much larger mature size, although its shape does vary widely, as noted by Loudon: "A beautiful...tree generally growing to one side, spreading its branches out in a fan-like manner...sometimes horizontally and at other times almost perpendicularly downwards so that the head of the tree exhibits great variety of shape".

File:Leaves of Ulmus glabra 'Horizontalis'.jpg, Dried short-shoot 'Horizontalis' leaves (August)
File:St Philip's Cathedral churchyard - geograph.org.uk - 1604362.jpg, 'Horizontalis', St Philip's Cathedral churchyard, Birmingham
Image:Top of pendula.jpg, Top of 'Horizontalis' in Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton, UK, in 1988
File:Ulmus glabra 'Horizontalis'. Seafield Cemetery, Edinburgh (2).jpg, An expert graft, for even, horizontal growth
File:Ulmus glabra 'Horizontalis' samarae. East gate, Warriston Cemetery. Edinburgh.jpg, 'Horizontalis' samarae

Pests and diseases

'Horizontalis' is not known to be any less susceptible to Dutch elm disease than the species.

Cultivation

The cultivar was found in a bed of seedling in the Perth Nursery, the plant was purchased by Booth of Hamburg, Germany, who then distributed it. Specimens supplied by the Späth nursery to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 1902 as ''U. montana'' 'Horizontalis' may survive in Edinburgh as it was the practice of the Garden to distribute trees about the city (viz. the Wentworth Elm); the current list of Living Accessions held in the Garden ''per se'' does not list the plant.

'Horizontalis' was also known to have been marketed in Poland in the 19th century by the Ulrich nursery.Ulrich, C. (1894), ''Katalog Drzew i Krezewow, C. Ulrich'', Rok 1893-94, Warszawa Warsaw.

Notable trees

There are two notable T.R.O.B.I. "champion" trees in the British Isles: one at Rathmullan House, County Donegal, measuring high by DBH in 2010, and the other at Glen Mooar, Isle of Man, measuring high by DBH in 1998..

Ulmus glabra horizontalis.jpg, Old 'Horizontalis', Ballarat Botanical Garden, Australia

Synonymy

*'Tabletop Elm': Anon.
*''Ulmus glabra'' 'Pendula' Anon.
*''Ulmus montana (: glabra)'' var. ''decumbens'': Masters
''Hortus Duroverni'', 67, 1831
name in synonymy.
*''Ulmus montana (: glabra)'' var. ''pendula''. Loddiges, ( Hackney, London), Catalogue 1836, and Loudon, ''Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum'', 3: 1398, 1838, also by Krüssmann in Parey ''Blumengartn.'' ed. 2, 1: 519, 1958, as a cultivar.
*''Ulmus montana (: glabra)'' 'Parasol': Koch
''Dendrologie; Bäume, Sträucher und Halbsträucher, welche in Mittel- und Nord- Europa im Freien kultivirt werden'' 2 (1): 417, 1872
name in synonymy.
*''Ulmus pendulina'': Sinclair, in Donn, ''Hortus Cantabrigensis'' ed. 12. 110, 1831, but without description.

Varieties

A variegated sport of 'Horizontalis', 'Pendula Variegata', was in cultivation in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Accessions

;North America
*Dawes Arboretumbr>
Newark, Ohio, US. 2 trees, no acc. details available.
*Holden Arboretum, US. Acc. no. 55-1033 (as ''U. glabra'' 'Pendula').
* Morris Arboretumbr>
University of Pennsylvania, US. Acc. no. 56-239-A

;Europe
* Arboretum de La Petite Loiteriebr>
Monthodon, France. No details available
*Brighton & Hove City Council, UK. NCCPG Elm Collection. Several trees, largest in Royal Pavilion Grounds.
* Dubrava Arboretum, Lithuania. No details available.
*Hortus Botanicus Nationalis, Salaspils, Latvia. Acc. nos. 18112, 18113, (as ''U. glabra'' 'Pendula').
* Linnaean Gardens of Uppsala, Finland. Acc. nos. 1976-1051, 1974-1111, 1977-1092 (as forma ''pendula'', and 'Pendula' resp.).
*Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Ampfield, Hampshire, UK; acc. no. 1977.5056
*Strona Arboretum Ulmus lamellosa, University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland. Listed as ''Ulmus glabra'' 'Pendula'
*Tallinn Botanic Garden, Estoni

Listed as 'Pendula'; no accession details available.
*University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Listed as ''Ulmus glabra'' 'Pendula'; no accession details available.

Australasia

* Ballarat Botanical Gardens, Australia. One tree listed on the Significant Tree Register of the National Trust.
*Eastwoodhill Arboretumbr>
Gisborne, New Zealand, Gisborne, New Zealand. 2 trees, details not known.
* Hascombe, Mount Macedon, Australia. 100 years old (2009).

Nurseries

Europe

*Arboretum Waaslan

Nieuwkerken-Waas, Belgium, (as ''U. glabra'' 'Pendula').
*Boomwekerijen 'De Batterijen', Ochten, Netherland

(as ''Ulmus glabra'' Pendula)
*Dulford Nurseries, Cullompton, Devon, U

(as ''Ulmus glabra'' 'Pendula')
*UmbraFlo

Spello, Italy (as ''Ulmus montana'' 'Pendula')
*Westerveld Boomkwekerij B.

Opheusden, The Netherlands (as ''Ulmus glabra'' 'Pendula').

Australasia

*Established Tree Transplanters Pty. Lt

Wandin, Victoria, Wandin, Victoria, Australia.

References

External links

* Sheet described as ''U. montana horizontalis''; RBGE specimen from Späth nursery, 1902
* Sheet described as ''U. montana horizontalis''; RBGE specimen from Späth nursery, 1902

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ulmus Glabra 'Horizontalis'
Wych elm cultivar
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Ulmus