STORY OF ULMUS PUMILA 
Ten years ago in the government bulletin, “Plant Immigrants” we read the story of a won¬ 
derful elm growing in northern China and Siberia. We filed our requests for trial trees with the 
government. In the spring of ’18 we received a few seedling trees by mail. We planted these 
in our arboretum and for the time forgot them. 
It was only for a short time, however, because they forced themselves upon our attention 
by their most remarkable growth. They seemed to spring up into good sized trees from al¬ 
most nowhere. It was not only their size', however, th#t got our attention but their great 
beauty. Their foliage was a dark lustrous green which hung in heavy masses from fine lace-like 
branches suggestive of the Cut Leaf Birch. Yet the leaves, when examined strongly, resembled 
the leaves of the American elm although a little finer and grew in more heavy clusters. These 
trees were healthy, free from any disease and seemed to thrive equally well in drought or in 
rainy seasons. 
We began to investigate the merits of these promising trees. The more we learned about 
them the more the truth forced itself upon us that the Chinese elm were among the finest of 
trees for the middle-west. 
Reports had come to us that the government field station had planted trial groves of these 
trees throughout the northwest. We secured the names of these plantations and wrote the 
owners. We asked many questions concerning their growth, habits, freedom from disease, 
ability to withstand drought and neglect, the length of time that the foliage remained green 
and how many trees were failures. The replies were most remarkable. The planters had been 
impressed the same as ourselves; almost 100% were growing and thriving. Without exception 
every planter was loud in his praise of these trees. Nearly every man told of his failure with 
other trees but his Chinese elm grew wonderfully. On the opposite page we quote from sev¬ 
eral of these farmers,. 
It is interesting to know that this remarkable tree comes from northern Manchuria and Si¬ 
beria—the land that has given us sweet clover, alfalfa, Siberian pea tree, the dwarf red maple, 
the Rugosa rose and the Hugonis rose. It is a land rich in thrifty and hardy plants. It has 
riow given us a most remarkable tree. We predict that it will sweep this country by 
storm, already the demand far exceeds the supply. It is most unusual to discover a tree that 
will grow in poor soil, grow rapidly in spite of neglect, and at the same time combine the 
gracefulness, dignity and rare beauty of our finest trees. The Chinese elm has come to stay 
and will soon be among our most valuable trees in lawn and in street planting. 
Dr. E. H. Wilson of the Arnold Arboretum, (known as Chinese Wilson) wrote Mr. J. Horace 
McFarland as follows; 
The Ulmus Pumila in northern Korea and Manchuria is often a tree 80 feet tall with a 
trunk 12 feet in girth. It grows very rapidly here and is said to do the same in the Middle 
West.” 
