Culture
Grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerant of light shade. Prefers rich, moist loams. Adapts to both wet and dry sites. Generally tolerant of urban conditions.
‘Camperdownii’ will not grow from seed. It is a top-grafted, weeping cultivar.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Ulmus glabra, commonly called Scotch elm or Wych elm, is a large, wide-spreading, deciduous tree that typically grows to 70-100’ with a broad-rounded crown. It is native from Great Britain to Siberia. It was once widely planted in the U.S. as a shade tree for large lawns and parks, but is no longer used because of susceptibility to Dutch elm disease. Insignificant small reddish-green flowers appear in spring before the foliage emerges. Flowers give way to single-seeded wafer-like samaras (each tiny seed is surrounded by a flattened circular papery wing). Seeds mature in April-May as the leaves reach full size. Broad oblong-obovate to elliptic, rough-textured, dark green leaves (to 3-6” long) have acuminate tips, doubly toothed margins and asymetrical bases. Leaves typically turn an undistinguished dull yellow in fall. A magnificent specimen tree dating back to 1861 is located at the Missouri Botanical Garden next to Henry Shaw’s house.
Genus name comes from the Latin name.
Specific epithet means smooth, in probable reference to the fact that the bark of this tree is smoother than that of English elm (Ulmus campestris).
The name wych comes from Anglo Saxon meaning “with plant branching”.
‘Camperdownii’, often called Camperdown elm, is a small, top-grafted, weeping landscape tree. It typically grows to 15-25’ tall, forming a round dome of contorted branches that weep to the ground. It was discovered at Camperdown House near Dundee, Scotland around 1850. Synonymous with and sometimes listed as Ulmus x vegeta ‘Camperdownii’.
Problems
Dutch elm disease, a fatal fungal disease spread by airborne bark beetles, attacks the water-conducting tissue of the tree, resulting in wilting, defoliation and death. Phloem necrosis is a disease caused by a phytoplasma that attacks the food-conducting tissue of the tree, usually resulting in a loosening of the bark, wilting, defoliation and death. Wetwood is a bacterial disease that results in wilting and dieback. Various wilts, rots, cankers and leaf spots may also occur. Insect visitors include borers, leaf miner, beetles, mealy bugs, caterpillars and scale.
Uses
Notwithstanding potential disease problems, this is a popular weeping landscape tree.