Ulmus americana 'American Liberty'

Elm cultivar

Ulmus americana 'American Liberty'
'Liberty' elms, WWII Submarine Veterans Memorial, San Diego (2015)
Species	Ulmus americana
Cultivar	'American Liberty'
Origin	ERI, US

The American elm cultivar Ulmus americana 'American Liberty' is in fact a group of six genetically distinct cultivars under a single name, although they are superficially similar.^[1] The Liberty elm is reportedly suitable for street planting, being tolerant of de-icing salts and air pollution. However, examples included in 10-year trials at Atherton, California to evaluate replacements for Californian elms lost to disease did not perform well. The late Professor Eugene Smalley summarized 'American Liberty' as "not as resistant as the Asian hybrids, but it still has the look of a classic American Elm".^[2]

Description

Generally similar to the species.^{[citation needed]}

Pests and diseases

The six clones which comprise this series vary considerably in their level of resistance to Dutch elm disease, and none is immune, but some evidence suggests that at least one of the six clones may have a fairly high degree of DED-resistance.^[3] It is claimed, controversially, by ERI that fewer than 180 American Liberty elm trees have been known to succumb to DED since the planting began in the early 1980s. This figure is surprising in the light of Townsend & Douglass's work,^[4] which found that the Liberty elms exhibited only an 18% survival rate four years after inoculation, compared with 96% for both 'Valley Forge' and 'Princeton', and 100% for the Japanese elm clone 'Prospector'.

The 'American Liberty' elms also sustained wind damage in winter, and high levels of injury from the elm leaf beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola. Accordingly, the cultivar was deemed "highly questionable as a replacement".^[5] Moreover, the trees were noted as highly susceptible to elm yellows in New York.^[6] Examples tested by research scientists at the United States National Arboretum in the 1992-1993 also failed to perform well [2]; but unfortunately, it has never been clear which of the six clones were represented in the tests, so the results remain largely inconclusive.

Cultivation

Promoted exclusively by the Elm Research Institute (ERI) [3] since 1983, these trees have been planted across the United States in numbers the organization claims to be in excess of 250,000. The American Liberty elm is reputedly "extremely expensive" to buy, particularly in the larger sizes.^[7] The tree is not known to have been introduced to Europe or Australasia.

Accessions

North America

Brooklyn Botanic Garden [4] Archived 2016-02-01 at the Wayback Machine, New York, US. Acc. no. 890269.
Dawes Arboretum, US. [5], Newark, Ohio, US. 2 trees, no acc. details available.
Dominion Arboretum, Canada. [6] No details available.
Holden Arboretum, US. Two trees > 13 m in height (2006). Acc. no. 84-336.
Mount Holyoke College Botanic Garden, South Hadley, Massachusetts. Acc. no. E00330-1.^[8]
Scott Arboretum, US. Acc. no. 84-276.

References

^ Townsend, A. M., Bentz, S. E., and Douglass L. W. (2005). Evaluation of 19 American Elm Clones for Tolerance to Dutch Elm Disease Archived 2005-05-11 at the Wayback Machine.Journal of Environmental Horticulture, March 2005, Horticultural Research Institute, Washington, D.C.
^ "New Varieties of Elm Raise Hope of Rebirth For Davastated Tree". The New York Times. December 5, 1989.
^ Footnote About the Liberty Elms
^ Townsend A. M. & Douglass, L. W. (2001). Variation among American Elm Clones in Long-term Dieback, Survival, and Growth Response to Ophiostoma Inoculation. Journal of Environmental Horticulture, June 2001. 150-154., Horticultural Research Institute, Washington, D.C.
^ Costello, L. R. (2004). A 10 -year evaluation of the performance of four elm cultivars in California, U. S. Journal of Arboriculture, March 2004. [1]
^ Sinclair, W. A., Griffiths, H. G., & Lee, I-M., Journal of Arboriculture. 20: 176-189, 1994
^ Giblin, C. P. & Gillman, J. H. (2006). Elms for the Twin Cities: A Guide for Selection and Maintenance. University of Minnesota.
^ U. americana 'Liberty', Mount Holyoke College, Acc. no. E00330-1 mtholyoke.edu

External links

Liberty Elms in USA

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