Ulmus 'San Zanobi'

Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'San Zanobi'
'San Zanobi', Great Fontley, UK
Genus	Ulmus
Hybrid parentage	'Plantyn' × U. pumila 'S 15'
Cultivar	'San Zanobi'
Origin	IPP, Florence, Italy

Ulmus 'San Zanobi' is a hybrid elm cultivar raised by the Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante (IPP) in Florence, from a crossing of the Dutch hybrid 'Plantyn' (female parent) and the Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila clone 'S 15'; it was released to commerce in 2002. 'San Zanobi' was introduced to the UK in 2004 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.^[1]

Description

'San Zanobi' is a fastigiate, often monopodial tree with upright branching bearing glabrous, bright green leaves < 15 cm long × < 6 cm broad.^[2]^[3] Like its compatriot 'Plinio', the tree lacks striking autumn colours, the leaves remaining green almost until they fall in late November.^[1] In Italy, 'San Zanobi' begins flowering in its fifth year (sixth in the UK), and can begin suckering from roots at about the same age. The perfect, apetalous wind-pollinated flowers appear in mid March in the UK. The sessile samarae are round to ovate, typically 15 × 18 mm.^[1]

'San Zanobi' leaf, and 1 Euro coin
Samarae
Bark of 20-year-old tree

Pests and diseases

'San Zanobi' has a high resistance to Dutch Elm Disease, and no losses to the disease have been observed. In trials conducted by the Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante, 'San Zanobi' sustained 19.5% defoliation and 8.5% dieback when inoculated with unnaturally high concentrations of the fungal pathogen, compared with 50% / 35.5% resp. for 'Lobel', and 95% / 100% for 'CNR118', a field elm (Ulmus minor) native to Italy.^[2]

Cultivation

'San Zanobi' has been widely planted across Italy, mostly in towns and cities, notably Rome in and around the Villa Medici. Introduced to the UK by Butterfly Conservation in 2004, it was evaluated at several sites in Hampshire, where it has proven fast growing, increasing in height by up to 0.87 m and 1.45 cm stem diameter per annum. However, it was found to be intolerant of soils waterlogged over winter.^[1] Among urban introductions in the UK are two specimens, planted in 2014, towards the west end of Broad Walk, Christ Church Meadow, Oxford.^[4]^[5]

As of 1 January 2018, the export of 'San Zanobi' to the UK from Italy is prohibited, the plant unable to qualify for a phytopassport owing to the prevalence of Elm Yellows in the region of cultivation.^[6]

'San Zanobi' is not known to have been introduced to North America or Australasia.

Etymology

The cultivar is named after Saint Zenobius (San Zanobi in Italian), a saint noted for many miracles. After his death in AD 417, his body, whilst being carried from the cathedral for burial, is supposed to have glanced a dead elm, restoring the tree to life.

Accessions

Europe

Grange Farm Arboretum, Lincolnshire, UK. Acc. no. 694.
Great Fontley Farm, Fareham, UK. Butterfly Conservation Elm Trials plantation, Home Field. Two whips planted 2004.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK. Acc. nos. 20090116, 20090402, 20180331^[7]
Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey, UK. One specimen in Plant Centre Field. Acc. no. 2004.0440.
Wijdemeren City Council, Netherlands. Elm collection, ‘s-Gravelandsevaartweg, Loosdrecht, 10 trees planted 2016

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Brookes, A. H. (2020). Great Fontley Elm Trial, 2020 Report. Butterfly Conservation, Lulworth, England.
^ ^a ^b Santini A., Fagnani A., Ferrini F. & Mittempergher L., (2002) San Zanobi and Plinio elm trees. HortScience 37(7): 1139–1141. 2002. American Society for Horticultural Science, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA.
^ Santini A., Fagnani A., Ferrini F., Mittempergher L., Brunetti M., Crivellaro A., Macchioni N. (2004). Elm breeding for DED resistance, the Italian clones and their wood properties.[1] Invest Agrar: Sist. Recur. For. (2004) 13 (1), 179–184. 2004.
^ Tim Richardson, 'Can we resurrect the English elm?', The Daily Telegraph, 6 March 2021
^ 'A brief guide to Christ Church Meadow', p.9; chch.ox.ac.uk
^ DEFRA. (2018). UK Plant Health Controls. [2]
^ Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Catalogue of the Living Collections, data.rbge.org.uk; Ulmus 'San Zanobi'. Acc. no. 20180331

External links

Nurseries in Europe

Eisele GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany.
Hillier Nurseries, Liss, UK.
UmbraFlor, Spello, Italy.

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