• Frequently Asked Questions about The Liberty Elm

• Technical Data

What is a Liberty Elm?

Since 1983, volunteers around the country have been nurturing a new American elm - the Liberty elm. They've planted over 250,000 of these trees in more than 650 communities.

The Liberty elm is not a hybrid. ERI's American Liberty elm is actually a group of six genetically different cultivars. All six look like classic, old fashioned American elms. "You have to look closely and know what you're looking for to tell the difference among the six," says Hansel. "To be sure which one you have, you really need DNA analysis."

Genetic differences provide diversity. Having six cultivars in the series is insurance against all the elms being wiped out by any disease or problem, even one that might show up in the future. ERI mixes all six cultivars in its shipments.

During the research phase for all these new elms, they were challenged with injections of the Dutch Elm Disease (DED) fungus in controlled tests. But the American Liberty elm is now long past the experiment stages, and at this point it has been through the additional test of growing in public locations around the country for over 18 years, where it has been exposed naturally to DED fungus where it may occur in those environments.

There is no known American elm variety that can be called entirely immune to DED. The American Liberty elm is resistant to DED, and its resistance has a strong record. In the 18 years since the tree's introduction, ERI has confirmed less than 100 cases of DED among the 250,000 elms it has sent out. Each elm carries a warranty against DED. ERI agrees to replace the tree if it succumbs to DED.

It's been a rewarding grass roots effort to restore a portion of the 100 million American elms that succumbed to Dutch elm disease (DED) since the beetle-borne fungus first appeared in elms in the U.S. in the 1930s.

You can support this effort by becoming a member of the institute, buying trees or supporting a local nursery.

Technical Info on the Liberty Elm.

Frequently Asked Questions about The Liberty Elm

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