Finding Disease Resistant Elm Trees in Minnesota

Elms were once a very widespread tree in Minnesota and amongst the most common and popular in urban landscapes due to their size, shading capability, and tolerance of pollution and other stresses. Over the past five decades, though, Dutch elm disease, an exotic and invasive pathogen, has killed millions of elms throughout the state. However, scientists at the University of Minnesota have observed that some elms have survived the disease and appear to have special characteristics that make them resistant to Dutch elm disease. This appropriation is being used to identify, propagate, and evaluate native Minnesota elms resistant to Dutch elm disease to assist with limiting the susceptibility of the state's remaining elms to Dutch elm disease and possibly lay the foundation for re-introductions of the tree in the future.