Ulmus davidiana, also known as theDavid elm, orFather David elm (named after the botanistArmand David, who collected specimens), is a smalldeciduous tree widely distributed across China, Mongolia, Korea, Siberia, and Japan, where it is found in wetlands along streams at elevations of 2000–2300 m (6,500–7,500 ft).[2] The tree was first described in 1873 from the hills north ofBeijing, China.[3]
The tree suffered confusion withUlmus uyematsui, a Taiwanese species widely planted in China, at the Morton Arboretum.
Two varieties ofUlmus davidiana are recognized:var.davidiana, occurring only in China, andvar.japonicaRehder, the more widely ranging Japanese Elm.[2] Some authorities, however, do not considerjaponica to be a variety ofU. davidiana,The Illustrated Flora of the Primorsky Territory, Russian Far East (2019), for example, maintainingU. japonica as a species.[4][5] In 1916Arnold Arboretum described the two as different species.[6]Harold Hillier originally (1973) listed and describedjaponica as a variety ofU. davidiana,[7] butHillier's separated the two as distinct species in later editions of theirManual of Trees and Shrubs.[8]
Ulmus davidiana is considered to have a remarkable resemblance to theAmerican elm (U. americana) in all but ultimate size.[9] The tree grows to a maximum height of 15 m (50 ft), with a relatively slender trunk < 0.3 m (1 ft)d.b.h. supporting a dense canopy casting a heavy shade. Its bark remains smooth for a comparatively long time, before becoming longitudinally fissured. The leaves areobovate to obovate-elliptic < 10 cm (4 in) × < 5 cm (2 in), with apetiole of about 10 mm, according to the protologue (the original description);[10] theFlora of China description gives a petiole range of 5-10 mm with an extreme of 17 mm,[11] whileRehder described the petiole simply as 'short';[12] the upper surface is rough.[13] Theperfect, wind-pollinatedapetalous flowers are produced on second-year shoots in March,[14] followed by obovatesamarae < 19 mm (3/4 in) long × < 14 mm (1/2 in) wide.[15]
The tree was briefly propagated and marketed by the Hillier & Sons nursery,Winchester, Hampshire from 1971 to 1977, during which time only four were sold.[17][18]
There are no knowncultivars of this taxon, nor is it known to be in commerce beyond the United States.
The David Elm has shown some promise as a result of testing at theOhio State University (OSU) inOhio.[19][20] At OSU, the plants were cultivated in copper-lined pots and planted in a wide lawn under a powerline and in small home lawns. The tree's performance has been mixed, but shows potential. Some specimens did extremely well, while others struggled. The tree seems to perform well on disturbed sites, in calciferous (alkaline) soils, and also seems to have a better tolerance for wet soil than the literature has indicated. A number of strong saplings were cultivated that show promise. Some saplings underwent judicious pruning early on to maximize structural stability of the plant ("pruning can help the plant result in a more structurally stable branching pattern"[19]), and blue-colored tree shelters were used on some plants until the stem reached a diameter of 25–37 mm.
Additional observation shows that at least 50% of emerging leaves on the trees survived a hard freeze that lasted 5 days during April 2007. Leaves were approximately 70% emerged when temperatures fell to −6°C (21°F). Temperatures fell below freezing for 5 days (April 4–8, 2007).
^abFu, L., Xin, Y. & Whittemore, A. (2002). Ulmaceae, in Wu, Z. & Raven, P. (eds)Flora of China, Vol. 5 (Ulmaceae through Basellaceae). Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, USA.[1]
^Kozhevnikov, Andrey E.; Kozhevnikova Zoya V.; Kwak, Myounghai; Lee, Byoung Yoon (2019),Illustrated Flora of the Primorsky Territory (Russian Far East), National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon, South Korea
^Hilliers Manual of Trees & Shrubs. Ed. 3, 399, (1973); David & Charles, Newton Abbot, UK
^Hilliers' Manual of Trees & Shrubs. Ed. 6, 369, 370, (2002); David & Charles, Newton Abbot, UK
^Ware, G. (1995). Little-known elms from China: landscape tree possibilities.Journal of Arboriculture, (Nov. 1995). International Society of Arboriculture, Champaign, Illinois, US.[2]Archived 2007-11-30 at theWayback Machine
^Ulmus davidiana Planchon, in Candolle, Prodr. 17: 158. 1873
Jung, Mee Jung, Seong-Il Heo, and Myeong-Hyeon Wang. Free radical scavenging and total phenolic contents frommethanolic extracts of Ulmus davidiana.Food Chemistry 108.2 (2008): 482-487.
