Ulmus minor 'Dehesa de la Villa'
The Field Elm cultivar Ulmus minor 'Dehesa de la Villa' was cloned by root cuttings from a tree growing in the eponymous park within the Moncloa-Aravaca district of north-west Madrid (40°27′29″N 3°44′0″W),[1] by researchers at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Montes, Universidad Politėcnica de Madrid in 1990.[1]
| Ulmus minor 'Dehesa de la Villa' | |
|---|---|
 'Dehesa de la Villa' | |
| Species | Ulmus minor |
| Cultivar | 'Dehesa de la Villa' |
| Origin | Spain |
'Dehesa de la Villa' was introduced to the UK in 2017, by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Branch, Butterfly Conservation, as part of an assessment of DED-resistant cultivars as potential hosts of the endangered White-letter Hairstreak.[2]
Description
'Dehesa de la Villa' is monopodial, growing at a comparatively modest rate of 63 cm per annum in the trials at Puerta de Hierro, Madrid. The branches are devoid of corky tissue. The leaves, on 6 mm petioles, are elliptic, typically acuminate at the apex, the average length and width 55 × 36 mm, the margins doubly serrate. Foliar density relative to 'Sapporo Autumn Gold' is described as 'high'. In the Madrid study, the appearance of the tree was rated 4.3 / 5.[1]
Leaf
Corky-winged bark
Pests and diseases
'Dehesa de la Villa' is one of seven Madrid cultivars found to have a very high resistance to Dutch Elm Disease, on a par with, if not greater than, the hybrid cultivar 'Sapporo Autumn Gold'.[1]
Cultivation
The cultivar is (2018) undergoing further trials in different environments in Spain, where it was first tested for disease resistance by inoculation in 2016. If resistance remains satisfactory, the tree will be released to commerce under licence.
Accessions
Europe
- Grange Farm Arboretum, Lincolnshire, UK. Acc. no. 1265. One small whip planted 2017.
- Great Fontley Farm, Hampshire, UK. Butterfly Conservation elm trial plantation. One small whip planted 2017.
- Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire, UK. Acc. no. 2018.0021
References
- Martín, JA; Solla, A; Venturas, M; Collada, C; Domínguez, J; Miranda, E; Fuentes, P; Burón, M; Iglesias, S; Gil, L (2015-04-01). "Seven Ulmus minor clones tolerant to Ophiostoma novo-ulmi registered as forest reproductive material in Spain". IForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry. Italian Society of Sivilculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF). 8 (2): 172–180. doi:10.3832/ifor1224-008. ISSN 1971-7458.
- Brookes, A. H. (2020). Great Fontley Elm Trial, 2020 Report. Butterfly Conservation, Lulworth, England.