Serious question, did anyone else's town used to have way more elms?

Looking at some old photos from the 80s, our main street was basically a tunnel of American elms. Now there's maybe three left on the whole block after the Dutch elm disease hit. What do you all do to keep the survivors healthy, or do you just plant something else?

3 comments

3 Comments

burns.ruby1mo agoMost Upvoted

Did you look into resistant hybrid elms? We planted a few 'Princeton' elms on our block about ten years ago, and they've filled out nicely without any signs of the disease. They're not the exact same, but they give that old arching look.

craig.drew2mo ago

Used to think it was just my town. Seeing those old photos really drives it home though. We have a guy who does a root flare injection for the few left, seems to keep them going.

black.amy2mo ago

But honestly those injections are just a band-aid fix. You're spending money to keep sick trees alive when that cash could plant new, healthy ones that fit our changed climate. It's sad to see them go, but clinging to the past hurts the town's future green space.