Ulmus americana 'Moline'


The American Elm cultivar Ulmus americana 'Moline' was cloned from a wild seedling transplanted to Moline, Illinois, in 1903 and propagated from 1916 by the Klehm Nurseries, Arlington Heights, IL. Some authorities regard the tree as identical to 'Minneapolis Park'.

Description

'Moline' is distinguished by its narrow but open form, likened to a Lombardy Poplar, when young, the branches of the older trees ultimately horizontal. The leaves could be exceptionally broad, measuring 15 cm across.

Pests and diseases

In trials at the Morton Arboretum, Illinois, the tree was eschewed by the Elm Leaf Beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola. The tree's resistance to Dutch elm disease is not known. No other specific information available, but the species as a whole is highly preferred for feeding by the Japanese Beetle Popillia japonica. U. americana is the most susceptible of all the elms to verticillium wilt.

Cultivation

In earlier field trials at Morton, 'Moline' was found to have a relatively fast growth rate, exceeding 7.7 m in height in 10 years. The tree was still in cultivation in 1934, but is not known to have been introduced to Europe or Australasia.

Synonymy

'Moline' was crossed with American Elm W-185-21 to create the moderately disease-resistant cultivar 'Independence'.

Accessions

North America