FPM Grows Dutch Elm Disease Resistant Trees

FPM has grown some special Dutch Elm Disease resistant elms for a new project to restore the trees to London. The Elms4London Initiative has planted 77 trees in 22 boroughs this week as part of its London Elms Week campaign.

Locations for the trees include The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Hampstead Heath, Westbury Banks Nature Reserve and Coulsdon Common. Many other community groups and public spaces have also planted a tree.

Mark Lane, who chairs the group behind this campaign says: “It has been a particularly successful campaign this year, with a significant increase in applications for trees. We partner with a number of specialist British growers including Langthorns Plantery, Joseph Rochford Gardens, Frank P Matthews and the Tree Musketeers, and therefore were able to source sufficient disease- resistant trees to meet the demand, but none of this would have been possible without the generosity of our sponsors, who we thank most sincerely.”

The variety supplied by Frank P Matthews was Ulmus ‘Lutèce’ which was developed in the Netherlands and released in 2002. Another disease resistant variety, ‘Wingham’ is also grown by FPM.

It is estimated that more than 20 million elm trees died in Britain during the 1960s and 1970s. The hope is that new Dutch Elm Disease resistant trees will begin to replace them.