Ulmus 'Fiorente'

Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'Fiorente'
'Fiorente' in autumn, Apennines, Italy.
Genus	Ulmus
Hybrid parentage	U. pumila S.10 × U. minor C. 02
Cultivar	'Fiorente'
Origin	IPP, Florence, Italy

Ulmus 'Fiorente' is a hybrid cultivar elm derived from a crossing of the Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila clone 'S.10' (female parent) from Lucca, Italy, with the Ulmus minor clone 'C.02' from Lungarno, Florence, by the Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante (IPP), part of the Italian National Research Council, in Florence.^[1] The tree is protected by Plant Breeders' Rights bestowed by the EU on 25 March 2010.

'Fiorente' was introduced to the UK in 2007 by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Branch, Butterfly Conservation as part of its assessment of DED-resistant cultivars as potential hosts of the endangered White-letter Hairstreak.^[2]

Description

'Fiorente' is usually monopodial, and capable of exceptionally rapid development; during trials in the Northern Apennine on poor clay soils, growth exceeded 1.0 m in height and 1.5 cm in trunk d.b.h per annum. The tree's habit is conical, with a pronounced apical dominance; lateral growth is limited, the crown therefore rather columnar. The alternate leaves are of moderate size, < 8 cm long × < 5 cm broad; generally lanceolate in shape, they are rough on the upper surface and pubescent beneath,^[1] remaining green well into the autumn and shed relatively late, often persisting into December in the UK.^[2] The tree usually commences flowering in its fourth or fifth year, during late February in Italy,^[1] but as early as mid-January in southern England. The sessile samarae are rounded, typically Ø15 mm, the seed central. The tree suckers from the roots, but only where the root has been exposed and damaged.^[2]

Bark of 20-year-old tree
Leaves
Samarae
'Fiorente' on marshland

Pests and diseases

Tested by inoculation with unnaturally high concentrations of the fungal pathogen, 'Fiorente' revealed a good resistance to Dutch Elm Disease, sustaining 32% defoliation and 20% dieback; not as resistant as Lutèce (20% defoliation and 12% dieback), but significantly better than the older Dutch cultivars such as 'Lobel' (50% and 35.5% resp.) released in the early 1970s. Specimens in the field in Italy have exhibited no symptoms of DED or elm yellows. Susceptibility to the elm leaf beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola is much the same as that of the Field Elm Ulmus minor.^[1]

Cultivation

In Italy, the cultivar's rapid growth has bestowed it economic potential as a hardwood timber and biomass tree. Introduced to southern England in 2007 by Butterfly Conservation, the tree is not known to have been introduced to North America or Australasia. ^[2] 'Fiorente' is exclusively propagated by the Eisele nursery in Darmstadt as one of its 'Resista' series ^[3]

Etymology

'Fiorente' translates as 'flourishing'.

Accessions

Europe

Grange Farm Arboretum, Sutton St. James, Spalding, UK. Acc. no. 693.
Great Fontley Farm, Fareham, UK. Butterfly Conservation Elm Trials plantation, two trees planted 2007.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK. Acc. no. 20080340, 20180332^[4]
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. Acc. no. not known.
Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Ampfield, UK. Acc. no. 2008.0367
Wijdemeren City Council, Netherlands. Elm collection, ‘s-Gravelandsevaartweg, Loosdrecht, 10 trees planted 2018

Nurseries

Europe

Eisele nursery, Darmstadt, Germany
Hillier's Nurseries, Liss, Hants. UK
Noordplant, Glimmen, Netherlands.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Santini A., Fagnani A., Ferrini F., Ghelardini L., & Mittempergher L., (2007). Fiorente and Arno elm trees. HortScience June 2007, Volume 42, Issue 3, 712–714. American Society for Horticultural Science, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA. [1]
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Butterfly Conservation (2023). Disease-resistant elm cultivars [2], Butterfly Conservation, Lulworth, England.
^ 'Fiorente' elm, Eisele nursery, Darmstadt
^ Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Catalogue of the Living Collections, data.rbge.org.uk; Ulmus 'Fiorente'. Acc. no. 20180332

Elm species, varieties, hybrids, hybrid cultivars and species cultivars

Species, varieties and subspecies

U. alata (Winged elm)
U. americana (American elm)
U. americana var. floridana (Florida elm)
U. bergmanniana (Bergmann's elm)
U. bergmanniana var. bergmanniana
U. bergmanniana var. lasiophylla
U. castaneifolia (Chestnut-leafed or multinerved elm)
U. changii (Hangzhou elm)
U. changii var. changii
U. changii var. kunmingensis (Kunming elm)
U. chenmoui (Chenmou or Langya Mountain elm)
U. chumlia
U. crassifolia (Cedar or Texas cedar elm)
U. davidiana (David or Father David elm)
U. davidiana var. davidiana
U. davidiana var. japonica (Japanese elm)
U. elongata (Long raceme elm)
U. gaussenii (Anhui or hairy elm)
U. glabra (Wych or scots elm)
U. glaucescens (Gansu elm)
U. glaucescens var. glaucescens
U. glaucescens var. lasiocarpa (hairy-fruited glaucescent elm)
U. harbinensis (Harbin elm)
U. ismaelis
U. laciniata (Manchurian cut-leaf or lobed elm)
U. laciniata var. nikkoensis (Nikko elm)
U. laevis (European white elm)
U. laevis var. celtidea
U. laevis var. parvifolia
U. laevis var. simplicidens
U. lamellosa (Hebei elm)
U. lanceifolia (Vietnam elm)
U. macrocarpa (Large-fruited elm)
U. macrocarpa var. glabra
U. macrocarpa var. macrocarpa
U. mexicana (Mexican elm)
U. microcarpa (Tibetan elm)
U. minor (Field elm)
U. minor subsp. minor
U. minor var. italica
U. parvifolia (Chinese or lacebark elm)
U. parvifolia var. coreana (Korean elm)
U. prunifolia (Cherry-leafed elm)
U. pseudopropinqua (Harbin spring elm)
U. pumila (Siberian elm)
U. rubra (Slippery elm)
U. serotina (September elm)
U. szechuanica (Szechuan (Sichuan) or red-fruited elm)
U. thomasii (Rock or cork elm)
U. uyematsui (Alishan elm)
U. villosa (Cherry-bark or marn elm)
U. wallichiana (Himalayan or kashmir elm)
U. wallichiana subsp. wallichiana
U. wallichiana subsp. xanthoderma
U. wallichiana var. tomentosa

Disputed species, varieties and subspecies

U. boissieri
U. minor subsp. canescens (Grey, grey-leafed or hoary elm)
U. elliptica

Hybrids

U. davidiana var. japonica × U. minor
U. × arbuscula
U. × arkansana
U. × brandisiana
U. × diversifolia
U. × hollandica (Dutch elm)
U. × hollandica var. insularum
U. × intermedia
U. × mesocarpa

Species cultivars

American elm	American Liberty Ascendens Augustine Aurea Beaverlodge Beebe's Weeping Brandon Burgoyne JFS Prince II College Columnaris Creole Queen Deadfree Delaware Exhibition Fiorei Flick's Spreader Folia Aurea Variegata Great Plains Hines Incisa Independence Iowa State Jackson Jefferson Kimley Klehmii L'Assomption Lake City Lewis & Clark Littleford Maine Markham Miller Park Minneapolis Park Moline Morden New Harmony Nigricans Patmore Pendula Penn Treaty Princeton Pyramidata Queen City Sheyenne Skinner Upright St. Croix Star Valley Forge Variegata Vase Washington
Cedar elm	Brazos Rim
Chinese elm	A-1 A. Ross Central Park Blizzard BSNUPF Burgundy Burnley Select Catlin Chessins Churchyard Cork Bark D. B. Cole Drake Dynasty Ed Wood Elsmo Emer I Emer II Emerald Prairie Frosty Garden City Clone Geisha Glory Golden Rey Hallelujah Hokkaido Jade Empress King's Choice Littleleaf Lois Hole Matthew Milliken Nire-keyaki Ohio Orange Ribbon Pathfinder Pendens Prairie Shade Prince Richard Red Fall Sabamiki Sagei Seiju Select 380 Sempervirens Small Frye State Fair Stone's Dwarf Taiwan The Thinker Todd True Green UPMTF Ware's Yarralumla Yatsubusa Zettler Ulmus parvifolia f. lanceolata
European white elm	Aureovariegata Colorans Helena Ornata Pendula Punctata Urticifolia
Field elm	Ademuz Albo-Dentata Amplifolia Argenteo-Variegata Atinia Atinia Pyramidalis Atinia Variegata Bea Schwarz Biltii Christine Buisman Concavaefolia Coritana Cretensis Cucullata Cucullata Variegata Dehesa de Amaniel Dehesa de la Villa Dicksonii Dijkwel Erecta Folia Alba-Punctata Glandulosa Goodyeri Hoersholmiensis Holmstruph Hunnybunii Hunnybunii pseudo-Stricta Laciniata Lanuginosa Majadahonda Microphylla Pendula Microphylla Purpurea Microphylla Rubra Monumentalis Pendula Picturata Plotii Propendens Punctata Purpurascens Purpurea Retiro Reverti Rugosa Rueppellii Sarniensis Schuurhoek Silvery Gem Sowerbyi Stricta Suberosa Umbraculifera Gracilis Umbraculifera Viminalis Viminalis Aurea Viminalis Betulaefolia Viminalis Gracilis Viminalis Incisa Viminalis Marginata Viminalis Pendula Viminalis Pulverulenta Viminalis Stricta Virgata Webbiana
Japanese elm	Discovery Freedom Jacan JFS-Bieberich Mitsui Centennial Prospector Reperta Reseda Thomson Validation
Siberian elm	Ansaloni Aurea Aurescens Chinkota Dropmore Dwarf Weeper Green King Hansen Harbin Manchu Mauro Mr. Buzz Park Royal Pendula Pinnato-ramosa Poort Bulten Puszta Pyramidalis Fiorei Zhonghua Jinye
Winged elm	Lace Parasol
Wych elm	Albo-Variegata Australis Camperdownii Cebennensis Concavaefolia Cornuta Corylifolia Purpurea Corylifolia Dovaei Fastigiata Macrophylla Fastigiata Stricta Fastigiata Variegata Firma Flava Gigantea Gittisham Grandidentata Holgeri Horizontalis Insularis Latifolia Latifolia Aurea Latifolia Aureo-Variegata Latifolia Nigricans Luteo Variegata Lutescens Macrophylla Maculata Minor Nana Nigra Nitida Oblongata Pendula Macrophylla Pendula Variegata Pyrenaica Spectabilis Superba Tomentosa

Hybrid cultivars

Androssowii Amsterdam Arno Cathedral Clusius Columella Den Haag Dodoens Escaillard Fiorente Frontier Fuente Umbria Homestead Karagatch Lobel Morfeo Morton Morton Glossy Morton Plainsman Morton Red Tip Morton Stalwart Nanguen New Horizon Patriot Plantyn Plinio Rebella Rebona Recerta Regal Repura Revera San Zanobi Sapporo Autumn Gold Sapporo Gold 2 Stavast Toledo Urban Wanoux Wingham
Dutch elm	Alba Angustifolia Balder Belgica Blandford Canadian Giant Cicestria Cinerea Commelin Dampieri Dauvessei Daveyi Dumont Elegantissima Eleganto-Variegata Etrusca Fastigiata Fjerrestad Folia Rhomboidea Freja Fulva Gaujardii Groeneveld Haarlemensis Klemmer Loke Macrophylla Aurea Major Microphylla Modiolina Muscaviensis Odin Pioneer Pitteurs Serpentina Smithii Superba Tricolor Tyr Vegeta Viminalis Viscosa Wentworthii Pendula Wredei Ypreau
U. × intermedia	Coolshade Fremont Improved Coolshade Lincoln Rosehill Willis