Ulmus × hollandica 'Major'
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''Ulmus'' × ''hollandica'' 'Major' is a distinctive
cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...
that in England came to be known specifically as ''the'' Dutch Elm, although all naturally occurring Field Elm ''
Ulmus minor ''Ulmus minor'' Mill., the field elm, is by far the most polymorphic of the European species, although its taxonomy remains a matter of contention. Its natural range is predominantly south European, extending to Asia Minor and Iran; its northern ...
'' × Wych Elm '' U. glabra'' hybrids are loosely termed 'Dutch elm' ( ''U.'' × ''hollandica''). It is also known by the cultivar name 'Hollandica'. Nellie Bancroft considered 'Major' either an
F2 hybrid An F1 hybrid (also known as filial 1 hybrid) is the first filial generation of offspring of distinctly different parental types. F1 hybrids are used in genetics, and in selective breeding, where the term F1 crossbreed may be used. The term is somet ...
or a backcrossing with one of its parents.Bancroft, H. 1934. Notes on the status and nomenclature of the British elms. V. – Elms generally accepted as hybrids, the Dutch Elm. ''The Gardeners’ Chronicle'', 96: 298-299. According to Richens the tree was a native of Picardy and northern France, where it was known from the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries as ''ypereau'' or ''ypreau''.Richens, R. H., (1983). ''Elm'' p. 53–54 also 33, 42.Cambridge University Press, 1983), 'Major' was said to have been introduced to England from the Netherlands in the late seventeenth century as a fashion-elm associated with
William and Mary William and Mary often refers to: * The joint reign of William III of England (II of Scotland) and Mary II of England (and Scotland) * William and Mary style, a furniture design common from 1700 to 1725 named for the couple William and Mary may ...
,
Rackham, Oliver Oliver Rackham (17 October 1939 – 12 February 2015) was an academic at the University of Cambridge who studied the ecology, management and development of the British countryside, especially trees, woodlands and wood pasture. His books inc ...
(1976). ''Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape'' J. M. Dent, London.
the name 'Dutch Elm' having been coined by Queen Mary's resident botanist Dr
Leonard Plukenet Leonard Plukenet (1641–1706) was an English botanist, Royal Professor of Botany and gardener to Queen Mary. Biography Plukenet published ''Phytographia'' (London, 1691–1696) in four parts in which he described and illustrated rare exotic p ...
. The epithet 'Major' was first adopted by Smith in Sowerby's ''English Botany'' 36: t. 2542, published in 1814, identifying the tree as ''Ulmus major''. Krüssmann formally recognized the tree as the cultivar ''U.'' × ''hollandica'' 'Major' in 1962. Richens (1983) states that Elwes and
Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
in their account of Dutch Elm (1913) "confused Dutch Elm with
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
". He gives no evidence but can only have been referring to Henry's statement that "in many districts Major'is the commonest tree in hedgerows". Richens was writing seventy years after Henry, after a
Dutch elm disease Dutch elm disease (DED) is caused by a member of the sac fungi (Ascomycota) affecting elm trees, and is spread by elm bark beetles. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease was accidentally introduced into Americas, America ...
epidemic, two world wars, and decades of urbanisation and road-widening. Henry's statement was not necessarily a case of misidentification – or an exaggeration. Elwes and Henry's account of Dutch Elm remains a pioneering one.


Description

In areas unaffected by
Dutch elm disease Dutch elm disease (DED) is caused by a member of the sac fungi (Ascomycota) affecting elm trees, and is spread by elm bark beetles. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease was accidentally introduced into Americas, America ...
, 'Major' often attains a height of > 30 m, with a short bole and irregular, wide-spreading branches. In open-grown specimens, the canopy is less dense than that of the
English elm The field elm (''Ulmus minor'') cultivar 'Atinia' , commonly known as the English elm, formerly common elm and horse may, Republished 1978 by EP Publishing, Wakefield. and more lately the Atinian elm was, before the spread of Dutch elm disea ...
or Wych elm. The bark of the trunk is dark and deeply fissured and, like
English elm The field elm (''Ulmus minor'') cultivar 'Atinia' , commonly known as the English elm, formerly common elm and horse may, Republished 1978 by EP Publishing, Wakefield. and more lately the Atinian elm was, before the spread of Dutch elm disea ...
, forms irregular 'plates' in mature specimens, serving to distinguish it from the
Huntingdon Elm Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...
(latticed bark), the other commonly planted ''U. × hollandica'' in the UK.Mitchell, A. (1974). ''A Field Guide to the Trees of Britain & Northern Europe''. Collins, London. The leaves are
oval An oval () is a closed curve in a plane which resembles the outline of an egg. The term is not very specific, but in some areas (projective geometry, technical drawing, etc.) it is given a more precise definition, which may include either one ...
, < 12 cm long by 7 cm wide, the top surface dark green and glossy, with a long serrated point at the apex. The red
apetalous Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usually ...
, perfect, wind-pollinated flowers are produced in spring in large clusters of up to 50. The
obovate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...
samarae are up to 25 mm long by 18 mm broad. The cultivar may be distinguished from other elms by the corky ridges which on mature trees occur only on the epicormic branches of the trunk. The bark of branches and twigs is otherwise smooth. On immature trees and suckers, the corky bark is more pronounced. Elwes and Henry state that the seed is rarely viable, Bancroft that it is always sterile. The tree suckers profusely from roots.Bean, W. J. (1981). ''Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain'', 7th edition. Murray, London. In southern Britain, 'Major' is commonly found as a sucker, sometimes in mixed hedgerows with
English Elm The field elm (''Ulmus minor'') cultivar 'Atinia' , commonly known as the English elm, formerly common elm and horse may, Republished 1978 by EP Publishing, Wakefield. and more lately the Atinian elm was, before the spread of Dutch elm disea ...
; large Dutch Elm sucker-populations have been found in south west Wales,
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, and along the
Channel Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...
coast. The suckers of Dutch Elm are sometimes confused with those of English Elm, which may explain the widespread and random occurrence of the former in hedgerows in southern Britain. 'Major' comes into leaf some three weeks later than English elm, and loses its leaves some three weeks earlier, and when young, its branching is straighter, stouter and more open. It is usually more vigorous than English elm. The larger, tapering leaves, predominantly corky bark, and bold herringbone outline of Dutch Elm suckers also help to distinguish them from those of English elm. File:RN Ulmus hollandica Major, corky wings.JPG, Corky wings on epicormic branchlets File:Ulmus x hollandica 'Major' bark and corky bole-shoots. Royal Circus, Edinburgh.jpg, 'Major' bark and corky bole-shoots File:RN Ulmus hollandica Major leaves.JPG, 'Major' leaves showing tapering apices File:Leaves of Ulmus x hollandica 'Major'.jpg, Pressed 'Major' leaves, August File:Ulmus x hollandica 'Major' samarae.jpg, 'Major' samarae File:MC - Ulmus x hollandica 'Major'. East Baldwin Valley, Isle of Man.jpg, 'Major' forming hedgerows,
Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...


Pests and diseases

''Ulmus × hollandica'' 'Major' is very susceptible to
Dutch elm disease Dutch elm disease (DED) is caused by a member of the sac fungi (Ascomycota) affecting elm trees, and is spread by elm bark beetles. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease was accidentally introduced into Americas, America ...
.


Cultivation

The ‘Dutch’ elm quickly became popular in eighteenth-century estate plantations in England, survivors today being naturalised relics of this planting fashion; but the tree was always rare in the Netherlands, where from the eighteenth century ''hollandse iep'' (Holland elm) meant the widely planted hybrid ''Ulmus × hollandica'' Belgica (Belgian Elm). Ley (1910) noted that 'Major' could be found scattered throughout the lowlands of England and Wales, often in the company of English Elm; but, unlike the latter, extended into mountain valleys in South Wales up to 1000 feet. ‘Dutch’ elm was also planted in urban parks, for example in the elm-groves of
Kensington Palace Gardens Kensington Palace Gardens is an exclusive street in Kensington, west of central London, near Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace. Entered through gates at either end and guarded by sentry boxes, it was the location of the London Cage, th ...
, and, on account of its suckering habit and quick growth, was frequently planted as the elm component in mixed coastal shelter-belts on the south coast, in Cornwall, South Wales, the Isle of Man, and East Anglia. The tree was propagated and marketed in the UK by the Hillier & Sons nursery,
Winchester, Hampshire Winchester is a cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, at the western end of the South Downs National Park, on the River Itchen. It is south-west of Londo ...
from 1949, with 101 sold in the period 1962 to 1977, when production ceased with the advent of the more virulent form of Dutch elm disease.Hillier & Sons (1977). ''Catalogue of Trees & Shrubs''. Hillier, Ampfield, UK.Hillier & Sons ''Sales inventory 1962 to 1977'' (unpublished). 'Major' was introduced to Ireland, where the largest specimens were at Marlfield, County Tipperary, renowned for its elms. It was also the predominant elm in
Phoenix Park The Phoenix Park ( ga, Páirc an Fhionnuisce) is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tre ...
, Dublin. 'Major' is known to have been marketed (as ''U. montana gigantea'') in Poland in the 19th century by the Ulrich nursery,Ulrich, C. (1894), ''Katalog Drzew i Krezewow, C. Ulrich'', Rok 1893-94, Warszawa
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
, and may still survive in Eastern Europe. ''Ulmus suberosa major'', 'The Dutch cork-barked elm', was in US nurseries by the mid-19th century. Arnold Arboretum reported in 1915 that in the USA (as in the UK by the 20th century), 'Major' was sometimes confused with English Elm. 'Major' is grown at several arboreta and along the streets of
Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
. The cultivar is also grown in parks and avenues in Australia, notably in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, and in New Zealand. File:Kensington Gardens, the fountains, London, England-LCCN2002696940.tif, Dutch Elms, Kensington Gardens, London, c.1890 File:Phoenix Park, Dublin. County Dublin, Ireland-LCCN2002717400.jpg, Dutch Elms,
Phoenix Park The Phoenix Park ( ga, Páirc an Fhionnuisce) is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tre ...
, Dublin, c.1890 File:RN Ulmus hollandica 'Major' (Brighton).JPG, 'Major', Withdean Court Road, Brighton; denser form the result of pruning File:Ulmus x hollandica 'Major'. Royal Circus, New Town, Edinburgh (1).jpg, 'Major', fan-headed after pollarding, Royal Circus, Edinburgh File:MC - Ulmus x hollandica 'Major'. Ballachrink, Isle of Man.jpg, 'Major', Isle of Man, May 2007 File:MC - Ulmus x hollandica 'Major'. West Nappin, Isle of Man.jpg, 'Major' as a windbreak elm, Isle of Man


Notable trees

Owing to Dutch elm disease, mature trees are rare in the UK, except in Brighton and
Hove Hove is a seaside resort and one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove, along with Brighton in East Sussex, England. Originally a "small but ancient fishing village" surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th c ...
, East Sussex; The Level, in Brighton, alone has over 80 specimens in a double avenue. Other examples, including the TROBI Champion (27 m high by 139 cm
d.b.h. Diameter at breast height, or DBH, is a standard method of expressing the diameter of the trunk or bole of a standing tree. DBH is one of the most common dendrometric measurements. Tree trunks are measured at the height of an adult's breast, ...
in 2009, after pollarding) can be seen in the city along the London Road. The specimen at
Leeds Castle Leeds Castle is a castle in Kent, England, southeast of Maidstone. It is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds. A castle has existed on the site since 857. In the 13th century, it came into th ...
was, at 38 m, the tallest elm surviving in Britain until it blew down in 2000.Johnson, O. (2011). ''Champion Trees of Britain & Ireland'', p. 169. Kew Publishing, Kew, London. . There are also good examples in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
along Fettes Row, and one at the intersection of Royal Circus and Circus Place (bole-girth 2.5 m), while a single mature 'Major' survives at the extreme east end of East Princes Street Gardens (2015). A 2011 study by Dr Max Coleman of the
Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is a scientific centre for the study of plants, their diversity and conservation, as well as a popular tourist attraction. Founded in 1670 as a physic garden to grow medicinal plants, today it occupies ...
, has confirmed that many thousands of mature 'Major' survive in the
Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...
. Many old trees survive (2018) in New Zealand, notably in
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
, the finest considered to be the specimen found outside the
Ellerslie Racecourse Ellerslie Racecourse is the main racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand, for thoroughbred racehorses. It is an undulating, grass circuit in the suburb of Ellerslie, with a circumference of just under 1,900 metres. Racing is conducted in a clockwi ...
. File:Ulmus hollandica.jpg, 'Major', Botanical Gardens, Christchurch, NZ (2004) File:Princes Street (5171821347).jpg, Old 'Major' near Scott Monument, Edinburgh, showing autumn colour


Synonymy

*''Ulmus × hollandica'' 'Hollandica': Richens *''Ulmus montana (: glabra)'' var. ''gigantea'' Hort.: Kirchnerbr>
in Carl Edward Adolph Petzold, Petzoldbr>
& Kirchner
''Arboretum Muscaviense'' 564, 1864
*?''Ulmus montana (: glabra)'' var. ''macrophylla fastigiata'' Hort.: George Nicholson (botanist), Nicholson, ''Kew Hand-List Trees & Shrubs'', 2: 141, 1896 *?''Ulmus × hollandica'' Ypreau: Richens


In art

The open, irregular branching of 'Major' appears in Constable's ''Salisbury Cathedral from the bishop's grounds'' (1823), and in G. N. Wright's ''Wellington Monument, Phoenix Park'' (c.1830) (see 'Cultivation'). The elm grove in Kensington Gardens, London, said by Elwes to have been 'Major', was illustrated by numerous artists, but most effectively, in Richens' view, by
Seymour Haden Sir Francis Seymour Haden PPRE (16 September 1818 – 1 June 1910), was an English surgeon, better known as an original etcher who championed original printmaking. He was at the heart of the Etching Revival in Britain, and one of the founder ...
in his etching ''Kensington Gardens'' (1860).Seymour Haden, etching, ''Kensington Gardens'' (1860), artsy.net
/ref> The more regular canopy sometimes found in 'Major' appears in a botanical drawing in Loudon's ''Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum'' (1854). File:John Constable 017.jpg, Dutch Elm, ''Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's grounds'' (1823) File:Wellington Testimonial, 1830 v3.jpg, Dutch Elm by the Wellington Monument, Phoenix Park, Dublin, by G. N. Wright (c.1830) File:Kensington Gardens (The Larger Plate), Francis Seymour Haden.jpg, Dutch Elm grove, ''Kensington Gardens'', etching by Seymour Haden (1860) File:Ulmus major. The greater or Dutch cork-barked, Elm. p.237.jpg, 'Ulmus major, the greater or Dutch cork-barked elm', ''Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum'' (1854)


Accessions


North America

* Arnold Arboretum, US. Acc. no. 241-98, from cultivated material. *
Longwood Gardens Longwood Gardens is a botanical garden that consists of over 1,077 acres (436 hectares; 4.36 km2) of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, United States in the Brandywine Creek Valley. It is one of the premier h ...
, US. Acc. no. L-0600, unrecorded provenance. *
Morton Arboretum The Morton Arboretum, in Lisle, Illinois, United States, is a public garden, and outdoor museum with a library, herbarium, and program in tree research including the Center for Tree Science. Its grounds, covering 1,700 acres (6.9 square kilometres ...
, US. Acc. nos. 1114-25, 338-46.


Europe

*
Brighton & Hove Brighton and Hove () is a city and unitary authority in East Sussex, England. It consists primarily of the settlements of Brighton and Hove, alongside neighbouring villages. Often referred to synonymously as Brighton, the City of Brighton and ...
City Council, UK.
NCCPG Plant Heritage, formerly known as the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens (NCCPG), is a botanical conservation organisation in the United Kingdom and a registered charity. It was founded in 1978 to combine the talents of b ...
Elm Collection. Over 1000 specimens, inc. TROBI champion

*
Grange Farm Arboretum The Grange Farm Arboretum is a small private arboretum comprising 3 hectares accommodating over 800 trees, mostly native and ornamental species or cultivars, notably oaks, ashes, walnuts and elms, growing on a calcareous loam.Ostler, J. (2009) ...
,
Sutton St James Sutton St James is a village and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England, about south-west of Long Sutton. Lying in the Lincolnshire Fens, Sutton St James did not exist at the time of the 1086 ''Domesday Book''. Su ...
, Spalding,
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...
, UK. Acc. no. 1099. * Royal Botanic Gardens
Wakehurst Place Wakehurst, previously known as Wakehurst Place, is a house and botanic gardens in West Sussex, England, owned by the National Trust but used and managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It is near Ardingly, West Sussex in the High Weald (gr ...
, UK. Acc. no. 1973-20146.


Australasia

* Avenue of Honour, Ballarat, Australia. As 'Hollandica'. * Avenue of Honour, Bacchus Marsh, Australia. *
Christchurch Botanic Gardens The Christchurch Botanic Gardens, located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand, were founded in 1863 when an English oak was planted to commemorate the solemnisation of the marriage of Prince Albert and Princess Alexandra of Denmar ...
, Christchurch, New Zealand. Details not known. *
Eastwoodhill Arboretum Eastwoodhill is the national arboretum of New Zealand. It covers and is located 35 km northwest of Gisborne, in the hill country of Ngatapa. It was founded in 1910 by William Douglas Cook. Cook's life work would become the creation of a g ...
br>
Gisborne, New Zealand, Gisborne, New Zealand. 10 trees, details not known.


Nurseries


Australasia

*Established Tree Planters Pty. Ltd., Wandin, Victoria, Australia.


References


External links


Jobling & Mitchell, 'Field Recognition of British Elms', Forestry Commission Booklet
* Sheet labelled ''Ulmus'' x ''hollandica'' 'Major', Constitution Ave., Washington, D.C., 1977 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ulmus x hollandica 'Major' Dutch elm cultivar Ulmus articles with images Ulmus Ulmus Edinburgh Spath 1902