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Ulmus americana 'Markham'

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Ulmus americana 'Markham'
SpeciesUlmus americana
Cultivar'Markham'
OriginAvon, New York, US

The American Elm cultivar Ulmus americana 'Markham' was cloned in Avon, New York before 1950 from "an outstanding tree", now long dead, growing naturally on what from 1794 was the Markham estate two miles north of Avon.[1][2]

Description

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The original tree was of great size, and possessed an extremely pendulous branching habit.[3] It was partly destroyed by fire in the mid-19th century and by storm in 1893. In 1913 its hollow trunk had a bole-girth of 45 ft and was estimated to be at least 400 years old.[4] "Still, the veteran elm had not lost its vitality," wrote Katharine Stanley Nicholson in her Historic American trees (1922). "In the spring of 1920, after bursting into leaf, and then losing every one through an onslaught of canker worms, it rallied bravely and in a few weeks was once more in full foliage."[5]

Cultivation

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It is not known whether 'Markham' remains in cultivation in North America or beyond.

References

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  1. ^ Green, Peter Shaw (1964). "Registration of cultivar names in Ulmus". Arnoldia. 24 (6–8). Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University: 41–80. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  2. ^ Santamour, Frank S.; Bentz, Susan E. (May 1995). "Updated Checklist of Elm (Ulmus) Cultivars for use in North America". Journal of Arboriculture. 21 (3): 122–131. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  3. ^ Peattie, D. C. (1950). A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America, p. 240. Houghton Mifflin Company (HMCo) Field Guides, Boston, MA. ISBN 0-395-58174-5
  4. ^ 'A giant elm', Horticulture 15 March 1913, Vol.17 Issue 11; p.375
  5. ^ Nicholson, Katharine Stanley, Historic American trees (NY, 1922); p.42