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Superior heat and cold tolerance and excellent disease resistance.

Ulmus Vanguard™

Need an elm for hotter spots, or more southern gardens? Vanguard is super heat and cold tolerant making it a versatile selecion for many climates.

Vanguard™ elm with its superior heat and cold tolerance and drought resistance was selected for use in tough regions of the country where few trees grow, let alone thrive, such as in the Great Plains. Vanguard™ elm is a vigorous grower, with rampant growth that may need some corrective pruning. A rounded habit in its youth becomes somewhat more vase-shaped over time. Attractive dark green foliage all summer turns yellow in autumn. Resistant to Dutch elm disease and elm yellows, but susceptible to the typical insects on elms (Elm Leaf Beetle, Japanese B eetle and leafminer).

Please note: We don't sell plants. Asking your local retailer or googling the plant name is the easiest way to find someone selling our plants.

Please note: Download hi-res photos from the photo gallery at the bottom of the page.

Who Am I?

  • Common Name

    Vanguard elm

  • Botanical Name

    Ulmus 'Morton Plainsman'

  • Type

    Tree

  • 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. Controlled crosses led to the development of the Vanguard™ elm with its rapid growth, upright habit, and superior heat, cold and drought tolerance.

Cultural Details

  • Size

    45-50' tall by 40-50' wide at maturity

  • Hardiness Zone

    5-7

  • 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

Available Photos

Hover over images to download hi-res files.