Ulmus 'San Zanobi'

Infobox Cultivar | name = "Ulmus" hybrid

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image_caption = 'San Zanobi', Italy. Photo: Alberto Santini, IPP.
hybrid = 'Plantyn' × "U. pumila" 'N 15'
cultivar = 'San Zanobi'
origin = IPP, Florence, Italy

'San Zanobi' is an elm cultivar raised by the Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante (IPP), Florence. Derived from a crossing of the Dutch hybrid 'Plantyn' and the Siberian Elm "Ulmus pumila" clone 'N15', it was released for sale in 2003.

Description

'San Zanobi' is a fastigiate, monocormic tree, with glabrous, bright green leaves < 150 mm long by 60 mm broad Santini A., Fagnani A., Ferrini F. & Mittempergher L., (2002) San Zanobi and Plinio elm trees. [http://www.cnr.it/istituti/ArticoliJCR.html?cds=064&id=3107] "HortScience" 37(7): 1139-1141. 2002. American Society for Horticultural Science, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA. ] Santini A., Fagnani A., Ferrini F., Mittempergher L., Brunetti M., Crivellaro A., Macchioni N. (2004). Elm breeding for DED resistance, the Italian clones and their wood properties. [http://www.inia.es/gcontrec/pub/179-184-(15)-Elm_breeding_1161943564468.pdf] "Invest Agrar: Sist. Recur. For." (2004) 13 (1), 179-184. 2004. ] . Like its compatriot 'Plinio', the tree is not possessed of striking autumn colours, the leaves remaining green almost until they fall in late November Brookes, A. H. (2006). "An evaluation of disease-resistant hybrid and exotic elms as larval host plants for the White-letter Hairstreak Satyrium w-album, Part 1." [http://www.hantsiow-butterflies.org.uk/conservation.html#Elm%20Report] Butterfly Conservation. Lulworth, UK.] . In Italy, 'San Zanobi' begins flowering in its fifth year, and can begin suckering from roots at about the same age. The sessile Samarae are ovate, 15 mm × 18 mm Santini A., Fagnani A., Ferrini F. & Mittempergher L., (2002) San Zanobi and Plinio elm trees. [http://www.cnr.it/istituti/ArticoliJCR.html?cds=064&id=3107] "HortScience" 37(7): 1139-1141. 2002. American Society for Horticultural Science, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA. ] .

Pests and diseases

'San Zanobi' has a high resistance to Dutch Elm Disease determined in field trials by artificial inoculation with the fungal pathogen and monitoring leaf loss and dieback.

Cultivation

The tree is only commercially available outside Italy by mail order from Italian nurseries. Introduced to the UK by "Butterfly Conservation" in 2003, it is being evaluated at several sites in Hampshire. It has so far proven very fast growing on well-drained soil, increasing in height by over one metre per annum. 'San Zanobi' is also a robust, wind-resistant tree, able to free-stand at four years of age, however it is intolerant of heavy winter-wet soils Brookes, A. H. (2006). "An evaluation of disease-resistant hybrid and exotic elms as larval host plants for the White-letter Hairstreak Satyrium w-album, Part 1." [http://www.hantsiow-butterflies.org.uk/conservation.html#Elm%20Report] Butterfly Conservation. Lulworth, UK.] . The tree is also under assessment by Bonte Hoek nursery at Glimmen, Netherlands. 'San Zanobi' is not known to have been introduced to North America or Australasia.

Etymology

The hybrid is named after Saint Zenobius (San Zanobi in Italian), a saint noted for many miracles. After his death in AD 417, his body, whilst being carried from the cathedral for burial, is supposed to have glanced a dead elm, restoring the tree to life.

Accessions

;Europe
*Great Fontley Farm, Fareham, UK, "Butterfly Conservation" Elm Trials plantation, Home Field A2, J2, and Platts O9.
*Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, UK, one specimen in Plant Centre Field acc. no. 2004.0440

Nurseries

;Europe
*UmbraFlor [http://www.umbraflor.it] , Spello, Italy.
*Veneto Agricoltura [http://www.venetoagricoltura.org] ] , Montecchio Precalcino, Italy.

References