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Ulmus minor 'Sarniensis'

Ulmus minor 'Sarniensis'

Guernsey elm, Jersey elm, Wheatley elm, Southampton elm

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Description

Ulmus minor ‘Sarniensis’ (monumental elm) (synonym Wheatleyi, Monumentalis) is thought to be native to the island of Guernsey and first described in 1815 by Scottish geologist John MacCulloch. Sarnia is thus the Latin name for Guernsey. This elm has a very characteristic and recognisable form: a perfectly straight trunk with a narrow pyramidal and dense crown up to twenty-five metres tall and a maximum of ten metres wide. Grows more vigorously, taller and with a more attractive form than Ulmus ‘Cornubiensis’ which it resembles.

The monumental elm has a very small, almost round, glossy, dark green leaf, with characteristic asymmetrical base. In the autumn this elm changes to a lovely yellow. The leaf emerges later than other elms and also persists for longer. The bark flakes off in narrow bands. Short and rigid branches are arranged horizontally. The blossom of Ulmus minor ‘Sarniensis’ is red-brown and the flowers are arranged in clusters on the twigs. The seeds also hang in bunches, with an oval samara around the nuts and without stalks.

Its beauty and form once made this elm the ideal city tree. It is also very resistant to wind and coastal wind. But it has minimal resistance to Dutch elm disease, making it fundamentally no longer a viable option. Old plantings can still be found in Utrecht, The Hague and Amsterdam, and it is still propagated for monumentality and heritage value. But in future, this elm can better be substituted by Ulmus ‘Columella’ and Ulmus ‘Fiorente’. It used to be grafted to a height of two metres on Ulmus x hollandica ‘Belgica’, meaning different barks were clearly visible.

Types of planting

Tree types

standard trees shade trees

Use

Location

street avenue square park central reservation cemetery traffic areas, industrial zones coastal area

Pavement

open open sealed sealed

Planting concepts

urban planting

Characteristics

Crown shape

narrow pyramidal narrow pyramidal

Crown structure

dense dense

Height

20 - 25 m

Width

8 - 10 m

Winter hardiness zone

5A - 7B

Aspects

Wind

tolerant to wind tolerant to coastal wind

Soil

loess sabulous clay light clay loamy soil

Nutrient level

rich in nutrients

Soil moisture level

moist

Light requirements

sun

pH range

neutral

Host plant/forage plant

butterflies

Extreme environments

tolerant to dryness tolerates air pollution

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Photos

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high-stem standard tree
Ulmus minor 'Sarniensis' standard tree
fruits fruits
Ulmus minor 'Sarniensis' fruits
fruits fruits
Ulmus minor 'Sarniensis' fruits
fruits fruits
Ulmus minor 'Sarniensis' fruits

Flowers

Flowers

raceme discrete small

Flower colour

red-brown

Flowering period

March - April

Leaves

Leaf colour

green

Leaves

deciduous ovate lanceolate polished dentate

Autumn colour

golden yellow

Fruits

Fruit colour

pale brown

Fruits

winged small

Bark

Bark colour

grey-brown

Bark

furrowed

Twigs

Twig colour

brown

For and by green professionals

The TreeEbb is a platform for and by green professionals, in which we collect knowledge and experience from the sector and make this available for users. All the details and photos are free to use for non-commercial purposes. Want to share your tree knowledge? Send photographs and additional information to treeebb@ebben.nl

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Location
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m
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m
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Aspects
Wind
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Soil
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Nutrient level
OK
Soil moisture level
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Light requirements
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PH range
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Extreme environments
OK
Stage of succession
OK
Plant characteristics
Flowering period
January
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December
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Winter hardiness

A plant's winter hardiness is the coldest area in which it is frost-resistant. This is based on the average annual minimum temperature. Winter hardiness zones are thirteen different frost zones in steps of 5.5 degrees Celsius. This format is an international standard for the hardiness of plants. The zones in which the plant is frost-resistant are always included in the description of trees and other vegetation.

Winter hardiness is a genetic characteristic and is not influenced by the location in which the plant is cultivated. This means that a plant that has been cultivated for many years in winter-hardiness zone 6 but has a winter hardiness of 3 is perfectly suited for replanting in a colder zone. It will thrive there thanks to its genetic characteristics.

When choosing planting for a project, the winter hardiness of the plants is extremely important. By choosing species that match the zone in which the project is being created, it is possible to ensure that plants can withstand the minimum temperature in that area.

Winter hardiness map
Planet Proof
MVO-Nederland
ISO-9001
ISO-14001
CO²-presentatieladder
Boomfeestdag
British Asssociation of Landscape Industries

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