Ulmus 'Arno'

Infobox Cultivar | name = "Ulmus" hybrid

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image_caption = 'Arno', Appenines, Italy
hybrid = 'Plantyn' × "Ulmus pumila" S.2
cultivar = 'Arno'
origin = IPP, Florence

'Arno' is a cultivar derived from a crossing of the Dutch hybrid cultivar 'Plantyn' with the Siberian Elm "Ulmus pumila" clone S.2. It was raised by the Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante (IPP) in Florence, and released for sale in 2007.

Description

'Arno' is of erect habit with upward main branches forming an oval to round crown. The tree is remarkably fast-growing, though not as quick as its contemporary 'Fiorente'. The trunk is straight, and branches at a height of 3 m; the bark is grey-green, with grey-orange fissures. The alternate deciduous leaves are of moderate size, < 9 cm long by < 5 cm wide, ovate to lanceolate, featuring yellowish - green undulate margins; they remain green throughout autumn and are usually shed relatively late. The tree begins flowering at the age of five years in Italy; the sessile samarae are ovate, 14 mm × 17 mm.

Pests and diseases

The tree is is highly resistant to Dutch Elm Disease.

Cultivation

'Arno' and has reputedly performed extremely well in trials in northern Italy, even where grown on poor clay soils Santini A., Fagnani A., Ferrini F., Ghelardini L., & Mittempergher L., (2007). Fiorente and Arno elm trees. "HortScience" June 2007, Volume 42, Issue 3, pp 712 - 714. American Society for Horticultural Science, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA. [http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/42/3/712] ] . The clone was introduced to the UK by "Butterfly Conservation" in 2007, but is not known elsewhere beyond Italy in Europe, and has not been introduced to North America or Australasia.

Etymology

'Arno' is named for the river that flows through the city of Florence.

Accessions

Europe

*Great Fontley Farm, Fareham, UK, "Butterfly Conservation" Elm Trials plantation, Home Field K5, planted 2007.
*Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, acc. no. 20070205

Nurseries

Europe

*UmbraFlor [http://www.umbraflor.it] , Spello, Italy.

References