The Return of The American Elm Tree

• Bought a 12' Princeton American Elm tree today and with the help of a Friend transported it and planted it in it's new home in front of my house at the curb. Five years ago the city planted a Maple but last Summer a high speed driver left the road and killed my tree. While this tree cost about $200 it's going to be worth it when it comes into shape and offers shade this tree grows 3 to 6 feet a year and can reach 100 feet.

• Once the dominant feature in the American landscape east of the Rockies, the American elm ruled supreme as the shade tree of choice for generations of Americans prior to World War II. These large, graceful specimens with their upright, vase-shaped habit have shaded so many American streets that "Elm Street" is generally believed to be the most common street name in the United States. Unfortunately, in the early 1930s, a fungal infection borne in beetles was introduced into the United States in a shipment of lumber from Europe. This fungus turned into a deadly and catastrophic blight wiping out tens of millions of American elm trees over a period of decades. It was later labeled Dutch elm disease and is still referred to in that manner.

• Introduced in 1922 by a wholesale tree grower in Princeton NJ, the Princeton American Elm is the only cultivated variety of American Elm (Ulmus Americana) that has an over 75-year landscape proven tolerance to Dutch Elm Disease. In fact, its longevity surpasses that of all other selected cultivars by several decades.