Super cold hardy & disease resistant.

Ulmus Commendation™

Cold hardy and excellent disease resistance make this the perfect choise for northern climates.

Commendation™ elm was selected for its rapid growth, robust size, cold tolerance, broad adaptability, and excellent resistance to Dutch elm disease. This tree with its symmetrical arching branches develops an attractive upright to oval habit over time. The large, dark green leaves turn yellow in autumn. It is moderately susceptible to insect problems, notably elm leaf beetle, Japanese beetle, and gypsy moth. Resulting from a controlled cross conducted by Dr. George Ware at The Morton Arboretum using Accolade™ elm (U. davidiana var. japonica) as the female parent and a hybrid elm (U. pumila × U. minor) wild-collected in Russia as the male parent.

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Who Am I?

Common Name

Commendation elm
Botanical Name

Ulmus 'Morton Stalwart'
Origin

The elm improvement program at The Morton Arboretum was initiated to address the need for an alternative to the American elm which was suffering signifi cant losses at the time due to Dutch elm disease. Hundreds of open-pollinated seedlings were examined and evaluated for Dutch elm disease-resistance, production ease, hardiness, and landscape performance in the Midwestern U.S. Commendation™ elm which is a fast-growing and robust tree with an oval habit and yellow fall color.

Cultural Details

Size

50-60' tall by 40-50' wide at maturity
Hardiness Zone

4-9
Light

Full sun
Soil

Tolerant of most soil types, but not exessively moist
Moisture

Moist, but well-drained
Disease & Pests

Excellent resistance to Dutch elm disease and elm yellows
Landscape Use

Specimen, large parks, extensive lawn areas, parkways, golf courses, parking lots, street tree
Propagation

Grafting