Surviving Blight: The American Elm on Nantucket

[Rip Littig]

Late last week I plastic wrapped my partially roughed bowl blanks and headed to Nantucket for the long weekend. I'd been many times before but never when as interested in trees as I am now. What amazed me were the size and population of American elms on the island. While not as rare as the American chestnut due to blight, Dutch elm disease (DED) devastated the American elm over the course of the 20th century. Nantucket, being an island 30 miles at sea, was spared much of DED and thus tree lined streets still thrive. They're literally growing out sidewalks as you can see below. Some trees are believed to be 200 years old. I found all this very interesting, particularly as my wife was popped in and out stores for end of the season sales (yes, they happen on Nantucket too). I'd love to work with a piece fallen tree from the island though I'm sure many other woodworkers have the same idea.

 

[Brent@TurnRobust]

Interesting and great to see these survivors. Perhaps there is some genetic differences on the island allowing them to survive. Here in Wisconsin, the American Elm lingers on. They get big enough to seed out and reproduce before succumbing to Dutch Elm Disease. Usually about 10-12" in diameter, and then it's over. Makes great firewood and dries on the stump.

 

[Paul M. Kaplowitz]

I was amazed to learn that we have a large population of healthy American Elms here in Charleston, SC. I moved here in 1997 from New Haven, CT., known as the Elm city and all the Elms were gone by the late 1980's. It maybe that the borer that carries Dutch Elm Disease needs cold in it's life cycle.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

It's nice to know there are still somw wild elm populations, and seeds.

I wonder if there are any similar populations of chestnut?

 

[Jim Reynolds]

Mark,

You might not be aware of the The American Chestnut Foundation. Their mission is to re-establish the American Chestnut.

 

[robo hippy]

If you ever get to Winnipeg, a cab driver told me they have the highest concentration of elm trees in north America. As for American chestnut trees, there are still a bunch of them out there. Jorge Castenada in Maine grows them. I have one on my property.

robo hippy

 

[Kevin Weir]

If you ever get to Winnipeg, a cab driver told me they have the highest concentration of elm trees in north America. As for American chestnut trees, there are still a bunch of them out there. Jorge Castenada in Maine grows them. I have one on my property.

robo hippy

I was just going to say that. I’ve heard it’s too cold there for the disease to survive the winter. I have seen beautiful elms lining both side of Winnipeg streets that form a nice canopy over the streets.

 

[hockenbery]

Florida has a lot of American elms.
We have one on our property.

The trees are spaced far enough apart in the woodlands so the disease does not spread.
The Dutch elm spreads qnhuickly in densely planted elms like city streets of yore.

 

[Mike Brazeau]

My first salad bowl over 20 years ago was from an elm on our hobby farm near Milton, Ontario. As mentioned earlier they get to about 12” and DE hits them. We moved 21 years ago about 20 minutes west of Milton and had a few on this property. The last one died probably ten years ago but we have the odd small sapling growing. I am currently just finishing a small natural edge red elm crotch bowl I roughed out in 2011. Came from a cottage community nearby that had a huge red elm that finally had died and our Golden Horseshoe Woodturners Guild collected about $3000 turning bowls and anything round as momentos for the community.

 

[Russell Nugent]

We have tons of elms here in alberta. It's illegal to prune or cut down an elm tree from the end of March to the beginning of october. You are also not allowed to keep it for firewood if I recall. If i get elm i make sure to have it all rough turned and the bark and shavings disposed of before spring.

It seems to have been an effective policy. There have been very few sightings of Dutch elm disease here. Some very healthy trees here, the largest ice managed to aquire was about 24 inches in diameter. That's pretty huge for a tree here in alberta , at least where i am, other than cottonwoods/balsam poplar maybe.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

I have some American elm on my property. The biggest is probably 20" in diameter.

 

[Mike Novak]

I have an American Chestnut sapling growing next to my house. It’s about 4 years old and 20’ tall. I can’t imagine how it got there, as I have heard there are no trees in the wild producing nuts. There are a few others nearby growing out of old roots, none more than a few years old.

We also have a couple ancient elms on our town common. Not sure what they do, but the plant town has an aggressive management plan to keep them healthy.