Page 56 - Free State Summer 2022

are a lustrous dark green, growing up to 6 inches long, edged
with double serration and an asymmetrical base. Autumn
color varies among trees but is usually a soft yellow. The
trees grow straight and tall, almost 30 feet before branching
with strong arching limbs. The root system is wide, shallow
and very fibrous, making transplanting trees fairly easy.
The National Champion Ulmus americana in the National
Register of Champion Trees is located in Chesapeake, VA
and is growing 112 feet tall and 116 feet wide and is in good
condition. The Co-Champion is 112 feet tall and 84 feet wide
and in good condition, growing in Baltimore, Maryland.
The most famous and fatal disease of Ulmus Americana is
Dutch Elm Disease, a fungus spread by beetles which attacks
the xylem or the water conducting tissues of the elms and
results in trees wilting, losing their leaves followed by death.
Another disease, Elm Yellows, a phloem necrosis, is caused
by a phytoplasma that attacks the phloem or the sugar/
food conducting tissues. Phloem necrosis caused the bark to
Tilia x euchlora loosen, then wilt, defoliate and die. A bacterial disease Erwinia
mimipressuralis called Wetwood results in the trees to wilt and
GROWING WITH EDUCATION (Continued) dieback slowly. Other diseases include cankers, leaf spots,
leaf scorch, rots and wilts. Insect pests can include beetles,
good crop of acorns every 2-3 years. The bark of the mature borers, caterpillars, leaf miners, mealy bugs and scale. Dutch
tree is black which give the Quercus velutina its common Elm Disease, ophiostoma novo-ulmi, was named after the
name. Like a lot of our native tree, the Black Oak is difficult to Dutch plant pathologists in the Netherland who studied and
transplant due to its deep taproot. The National Champion identified the fungal pathogen in 1921. There are a number
Quercus velutina in the National Register of Champion Trees of cultivars that show some resistance to Dutch Elm Disease
is located in Hartford, CT and is growing 85 feet tall and 82 including ‘American Liberty’, ‘Jefferson’, ‘Valley Forge’ and ‘New
feet wide and is in fair condition. Potential disease pests can Harmony’. Although all of these Elms show resistance to Dutch
include anthracnose, cankers, chestnut blight, leaf spots, oak Elm Disease, they are all susceptible to Elm Yellows.
wilt, powdery mildew and shoestring root rot. Potential insect
pest can include caterpillars, borers, galls, leaf miners, nut Pinus koraiensis or Korean Pine is an evergreen tree native
weevils, oak lace bug, oak skeletonizer and scale. to Korea, Manchuria, Russia and Japan and is considered
a medium sized tree, growing 30-50 feet tall. The State
Ulmus Americana or the American Elm is a lovely deciduous Champion was planted in 1968 west of Blackwell Advising
medium to large tree that typically grows 60-80 feet tall Center and is almost 77 feet tall. The Korean Pine is cold
and 40-70 feet wide. The County Champion is located on hardy in USDA zones 3-7, thriving in full sun and prefers moist,
the north side of Holloway Hall, the first building that started well-drained soils but is tolerant of a wide range of soil types
Salisbury State College back in 1926 and is currently 97 feet as long as they are well-drained. They are extremely cold
tall. The American Elm is cold hardy in USDA zones 2-9 and tolerant and not surprising, not very tolerant of high heat
thrives in full sun and prefers rich, moist well-drained loams, and humidity. The dark blue-green 2 ½ to 4 ½ inch needles
but is tolerant of light shade, many soil types, salt soil and are carried in bundles of 5 that stay on the plant for at least
urban pollution. American Elms were once planted from the 3 years. The fruit is a 3-6 inch brown cone that contains
eastern to central North America, giving wonderful shade edible pine nuts ¾ of an inch long. When young the trees are
with graceful vase shaped, rounded crowned trees until Dutch narrow pyramid with ascending branches, and as it matures,
elm disease decimated most of the population. Now there it becomes a loose pyramid shape with branches feathering
are extensive maintenance programs that protect the living down to the ground and a rounded crown. There are no
elms, and there are cultivars that provide some resistance National Champion Pinus koraiensis found in the National
in a strong effort to repopulate our native Elms. Early spring Register of Champion Trees. Plants make good landscape
before the leave emerge the small green flowers bloom, then specimens and screens. There are a number of cultivars
mature into single seed samaras. The samaras are rounded including ‘Glauca’ which has long, graceful soft textured blue
and disc shaped and papery. The leaves of the American Elm
needles, ‘ Morris Blue’ from the Morris Arboretum with 2 toned

56 SUMMER 2022 • Free State News