Ulmus 'Hillieri'
| Ulmus 'Hillieri' | |
|---|---|
.jpg) 'Hillieri' in Stanmer Park Arboretum, Brighton, summer, c.2005 | |
| Genus | Ulmus |
| Cultivar | 'Hillieri' |
| Origin | Winchester, England |
The elm cultivar Ulmus 'Hillieri' arose from a chance seedling at Hillier's Pitt Corner nursery near Winchester, England, in 1918,[1] and was marketed from 1928 as Ulmus hillieri,[2] a name accepted by Christine Buisman in her 1931 labelling of a specimen in France. Since at least 1944 the tree has been determined a form of Ulmus × hollandica, its designation at Kew Gardens, in Green,[3] and in later Hillier catalogues.[4] In 1940, 'Hillieri' was noted as being a hybrid of uncertain origin.[5] Krüssmann notes that for a time the tree was listed by Hilliers as U. × hillieri.[6]
Not to be confused with Ulmus 'Jacqueline Hillier', which also has a shrubby habit but much smaller leaves.
Description
'Hillieri' is a graceful, compact, slow-growing miniature tree rarely > 1.2 m in height,[note 1] widely branched and bearing weeping branches.[6] The small leaves (5 – 7 cm by 2.5 – 3 cm[7]) turn crimson and yellow in favourable autumns,[1] a feature of at least one Japanese Elm cultivar, 'Jacan'. The 'vivid scarlet' of the autumn leaves was noted (1940) as being a unique colouring for elms.[5]
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'Hillieri' in Stanmer Park Arboretum, spring -
Fruit of same
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Pests and diseases
The degree of the tree's susceptibility to Dutch elm disease (DED) is unknown. It has been noted that shrub-elms are usually less prone to infection.[8]
Cultivation
A specimen stood in the Arboretum national des Barres, Nogent-sur-Vernisson, France, in the 1930s.[7] 'Hillier' was introduced to the US in 1954 as Ulmus hillieri.[9] An old low shrub-elm in Stanmer Park Arboretum, Brighton (2018, now storm-damaged), planted in the winter of 1965-6, with level rather than pendulous branching and leaves closely matching 'Hillieri' herbarium specimens in Kew Gardens[10] and the Arboretum national des Barres,[7] was said (2018) by Hillier Nurseries, who supplied many elms to the arboretum, to be 'Hillieri',[11] though it is about 4 m tall and lacks crimson autumn colour. Dutch authorities who examined the tree in 2010 conjectured Japanese Elm hybrid.[12]
A tree cultivated in Denmark as Ulmus × hollandica 'Hillieri' or Dukke-elm (:Doll's elm) appears from photographs to be U. 'Jacqueline Hillier'.[13] A tree in the Arboretum Volčji Potok, Slovenia, labelled Ulmus × hollandica 'Hillieri', has leaves much smaller than those of 'Hillieri', and may be a form of dwarf Ulmus parvifolia.[14][15]
Synonymy
- Ulmus hillieri Hort.: Hillier & Sons, Winchester, England. Cat. 38T, p. 52, 1928.
Notes
- ^ The 2002 edition of The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs misprints as "usually less than 12 m high" (p.369).
References
- ^ a b Hilliers' Manual of Trees & Shrubs. (1977). David & Charles, Newton Abbot, UK.
- ^ Hillier & Sons, Cat. 38T, p.52, 1928 (Winchester)
- ^ Green, Peter Shaw (1964). "Registration of cultivar names in Ulmus". Arnoldia. 24 (6–8). Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University: 41–80. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
- ^ Terrier, C. (1944). "La maladie des ormeaux" (PDF). Bulletin de la Murithienne. 62: 71–84. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
- ^ a b Weaver, Sidney (1940). "Correspondence". Gardeners' Chronicle. 108: 44. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
- ^ a b Krüssmann, Gerd (1986). Manual of cultivated broad-leaved trees & shrubs. Vol. 3. p. 410.
- ^ a b c bioportal.naturalis.nl, specimen L.1587100
- ^ Rafaël Govaerts, Kris Michielsen and Eike Jablonski, 'Untraced weeping broadleaf cultivars: an overview', dendrology.lu
- ^ Plant Inventory No. 162. 213985
- ^ Photographs sent from Kew in October 2018 of Kew 'Hillieri' herbarium specimens, labelled Ulmus × hollandica Mill. cv. 'Hillieri'.
- ^ Correspondence from Hillier Nurseries Limited, October 2018.
- ^ Correspondence from Holland, October 2018.
- ^ Lønbæk Planteskole, Holstebro, Denmark; loenbaek.dk [1]
- ^ Arboretum Volčji Potok, tree photo
- ^ Arboretum Volčji Potok, leaves photo
External links
- "Herbarium specimen - L.1587100". Botany catalogues. Naturalis Biodiversity Center. Sheet described as Ulmus hillieri, Arboretum national des Barres specimen, Nogent-sur-Vernisson (1931)