A triumphant return for elm trees
There’s a huge elm tree sitting in the middle of Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago doing more than inspiring people to plant trees. It’s a Triumph elm, a 30-foot-tall living monument to gardeners that, in spite of Dutch elm disease, certain elm trees can be planted without the fear of being lost.
Robert Milani of Chalet said “We’re finding that a lot of people still don’t know there are options to replace the iconic American elm, which is susceptible to Dutch elm disease. There’s still a lot to do to educate the customer.” Elm trees have been on the decline both naturally and in the interest of gardeners since the disease began killing the trees in the 1930s. Triumph, bred by The Morton Arboretum is one of five of their elms that are highly disease, pest and drought resistant.
Milani recommends Triumph to his customers because of its glossy leaves and nice structure, adding that it is a relatively fast growing, urban tolerant selection. “We haven’t seen any problems with it,” he said. The positive reviews of Triumph come as no surprise, however. The line of trees have undergone years of rigorous testing prior to hitting the market via a unique plant introduction program.
Chicagoland Grows is a partnership between The Morton Arboretum, Chicago Botanic Garden and the Ornamental Growers Association of Northern Illinois. The program develops, evaluates and selects trees and other plants that are suitable for growing conditions in the upper Midwest. After a selection is made, it is vigorously tested at botanical gardens, universities and municipal forests. If the plant performs well, propagators grow the plant and it is introduced on a limited basis to wholesale and retail nurseries. If the plant’s performance remains high, Chicagoland Grows conducts a full release to nurseries, as it did with Triumph in 2005.
Tags: Chalet Landscaping Nursery and Garden Center, Chicago Botanic Garden, elm trees, Morton Arboretum, Ornamental Growers Association