New Information on the American Elms and Genetics

Seems the USDA Research team is finding out more information on the genetics on the American Elm.  From the research we have learned that American Elms come with different numbers of chromosome's.  Some are tetraploids (4) sets, triploids (3) sets and diploids (2) sets of chromosome.  It is inside these set of chromosome that give certain American Elms thier resistance to the DED (Dutch Elm Disease). 

What was not known was what stands of the American Elms in the wild are.  Alan Whittemore and Richard Olsen, both with the USDA have tested native blocks of the American Elm and have found many to be diploid's.  This was interesting because to get a triploid, you needed a tetraploid and diploid as parents.

There is too much information and detailed to go into here, but you could go to the ARS (Agricultural Research Serivce web site and read more.  This story is developing further this summer as both scientist continue to look into the diploid genetic American Elm. Very Exciting.

American Elms in Edmonton Canada - Oh The Feeling they Create!

Thanks to our Friend Nick L. From Edmonton, a fellow American Elm nut like myself, we have some great pictures of some 100 year old American Elms from the Edmonton area.  These are true beauties and lend us to a time past when the American Elm ruled the streets of the US and Canada.

Most of the areas in the US do not have this extensive of an Allee of the American Elms as we used too.  Edmonton has been spared the sever outbreak of the DED fungus and you can see from the streets, what the American Elm can do for the atmosphere of the area.  I am sure the residence that live under the elms consider them a crucial part of their daily lives and a huge value to their way of live and property.

I know many of us when planting a tree will never see its ultimate shape and benefit it provides, but I hope we have the forethought to continue to plant for generations ahead of us, that they may enjoy and benefit from the trees we planted.

Okay, I will stop typing and just post some pictures from Nick.  Enjoy and feel free to email me your photos.  Thanks!

Economy Plays Havic with Shade Trees, Princeton Elms as well!

Allee of Princeton Elms, Washington Road, NJ

The Economy is playing Havic with the Tree Market.  Shade Tree sales are down over 50% from last year and not a popular item as construction across the nation is slow.  Growers from around the country have been dumping trees at extremely depressed prices and there is no change in sight.  The only trees that seem to be selling are the smaller ornamental (Blooming or colorful leafed) trees in sizes down from previous years.  These are the home owners going out and buying a 7gal or 10gal Redbud tree or Crapemyrtle. 

Growers alike are not planting like they have in the past years.  If a company spent $20,000.00 on new liners each year, they may be spending from $0 to $5000 at the most.  This is a sad state of affairs. 

The Princeton American elm has not been immune to this either.  Since the Princeton Elm is a shade trees, sales and new liners in the ground has dropped off.  Even with the need of DED resistant Elms and the Emerald Ash Bore Spreading to more and more counties and States, the Princeton Elm sales are flat.

City and Park budgets have been cut with the taxes coming in less which means less projects for the cities.

Home Owners have had to buckle down and put off buying a new home and renovations have been minimal.  The Commercial construction sector has also be hit hard and large Shade trees where installed on most all of these type of projects. 

Another component that affects the Princeton Elm is the Education factor.  With less people needing shade trees overall, less people are researching or looking for the tree.  This is industry wide from the Landscape Architect to the Landscaper, Grower and the Home owner.  

What is ahead of us???

No one really knows, but I am sure in time the Princeton Elm and other shade trees will be back in full force.  I just hope it is sooner rather than later!   

Other American Elms in Washington DC Area!

What a Spring we have had.  John from Maryland recently visisted the Washington DC Mall looking for Cherries in Bloom for his wife.  Well, they could not find the Cherries, but did bump into these large American Elms.  John here pictured next to a nice specimen.  Notice the diameter of the trunk in relationship to John!

Classical American Elm arching canopy creates wonderful shade for people and pets alike. 

We thank John from Maryland for his photo of the American Elm and sorry he was not able to show his wife the cherry blossoms, but not all was lost.  "I took her to see the Capitals play hockey afterwards" John tells making up for the missed Cherries!!

Thanks to John and others who have sent in thier stories and pictures!

Herbie the 212 Year old American Elm

Herbie in the Snow on his final day!

For many of us, we will never have a story like this with a tree.  We could only wish we had a realationship with a tree in our town that touched so many over the years as Herbie did, but Herbie is a unique story and can only be told by someone who was there, who knew Herbie like Frank Knight and Phil Norris did. So here is thier story. Enjoy.

Herbie as he begins to Fall!

Herbie on the ground, but look for him in the future in furniture and in local art.  Herbie will never really die!

Phil Norris:

Here's my own story concerning "Herbie".

"Nothing lasts forever. He's had a good long life and so have I." So
said Frank Knight, Yarmouth's 101 year-old tree warden as he stood by
the fallen trunk of "Herbie", the largest American Elm in New England
shortly after it was taken down on Jan. 19th. Frank has been watching over the tree for 50 years.

Three of us tree guys had driven down to Yarmouth, Maine that morning in a blinding snowstorm to witness the passing of the behemoth and to
visit with Frank. When we arrived we were met with a media spectacle;
television vans with telescoping booms jutting out of their roofs,
camera crews walking around pointing microphones in peoples' faces,
dozens of cameras on tripods, all focused on a strange sight about 100
feet away. Whitney Tree Service had, over the weekend, removed the
whole top of the tree and what was left looked like a giant saguaro
cactus towering over the nearby houses.

We were warmly greeted by Deb Hopkins, Frank's assistant, who has
already taken over most of Frank's duties as tree warden. Deb and I
had been emailing back and forth for over a month discussing the
capricious nature of elm lumber. The town of Yarmouth wants to do
something special with the wood from Herbie and they had heard about
the elm cutting board project that Blue Hill pioneered in 2002. I had
sent Deb a complimentary Blue Hill elm cutting board and had provided her with photos and a detailed description of how we had cut up and
dried the lumber from an elm tree that had stood in downtown Blue Hill for 190 years.

The air was suddenly rent by the sound of a chainsaw as Matt Whitney
started cutting the notch which would decide Herbie's fate. He was
using a Husqvarna 395, with a 54" bar which he had bought specifically
for this job. The tree was six-and-a-half feet in diameter at breast
height and had stood 110 feet tall in its prime. When the notch was to
his satisfaction he moved around to make the backcut. The tree was
very close to a major trunk of electric wires so Whitney's crew had
attached a stout line to the top of the tree and were using a logging
truck to pull it in the opposite direction. Matt completed the backcut
and signaled for the truck to take up the strain. When they had put as
much tension as they dared on the rope and the tree hadn't budged,
they attached a second rope to the top and pulled that one with a boom truck.

Still no movement. Matt revved the big saw and cut a little deeper
into the hinge. He shut off the saw and stepped back and again
signaled for both trucks to pull. There was a loud crack and light
appeared in the saw kerf and Herbie teetered and then came thundering to the ground.

We all gathered around the stump and Pete Lammert, of the Maine Forest
Service, brought out a whisk broom and cleared the sawdust away so we
could count the rings. He counted the rings on the fallen section
while I counted the rings on the stump. I started in the middle and
worked my way out using a penknife to prick each annual ring. I was
amazed at how far apart the rings were when the tree was young,
indicating rapid growth, but after the first hundred years the growth
slowed and by the time I neared the bark at the outer rim the rings
were no further apart than a millimeter. Pete came up with 212 years
and I counted 215. Pete said that that was OK for a rough count and
that we would do it again when it was warm and not snowing and we could sand the wood smooth.

Frank Knight came around and posed by the stump leaning on a cane and
one of the reporters shouted out, "How does it feel to see the tree
lying there?"
"I always thought I would be the one lying there," replied Frank.
"You won!" cried Pete Lammert.

Fall starting at White House

Each Year, I get pictures of the Princeton American Elms at the White House in Washington DC.

We also want to thank the Bush family and administration for their forethought on getting these majestic trees back into the Urban Landscape where is does so well.

Here are some pictures taken last week that show the start of the Princeton Elms turning yellow. I hope to see more of these pictures as the fall progresses. Thanks to Craig Shackelford for these photos!

American Elms in Texas

American Elms once span across the United States. Most have died off with the DED fungus, but there are pockets that have survived.


Here in Travis Co. Texas, there are some lonesome American Elms today! Here is a photo from Neile Wolfe who lives there in Travis County with his family. They spotted this wonderful American Elm and sent me pictures. This tree is right on the edge of a wet weather creek called the Heinz's Branch that feeds a grotto at Westcave Preserve, which is on the Pedernales River in Travis County, Texas

The tree is estimated at 100 years old and is doing very well.
Here are some pictures of the trees bark. What a wonderful pattern the tree naturally has.

Notice the woodpecker holes in the bark.

This is a great photo of the Shape of the Main trunk of the tree. Great photos Neile send and we thank him and his family for sharing.

Maybe you have similar photos you would like to share as well of your Princeton or American Elm. Please email me with those today!

Summer 2009 Princeton Elms in Washington DC

Its great when someone sends you a letter in the mail or an email out of the blue that you did not expect. Better yet is when that someone sends you a picture of the Princeton Elm at the White House.

Here is a picture of some Princeton American Elms in DC this Summer. Great Looking Trees and look at the shade these trees are already providing!

Riding those bikes looks fun. I look forward to s a trip there in the near future and get some pictures of my own. Until then, if you are out and about this Country and see a Princeton American elm or a neat American Elm picture, please send them into me and we can get them posted as well. Fall color shots to come soon as the leaves start to change this Autumn.

Allee of Elms - Creating a Princeton Elm Allee

Scripps College in California

with a planting of 8" Princeton

American Elms to recreate

the lost Allee they once had

for many graduating classes!

Did you ever wonder how those beautiful Allee of trees where created? People with a lot of for sight wanted to create the classical European Cathedral look to the landscape and cities they lived in. This was typical during the 1800's as cities poped up and streets and towns where developed. They needed trees that would grow fast and transplant easy and give them the overhanging canopy look. The American Elm fit this need and was used extensively. This practice has been going on until the early 60's.

Princeton American Elms

Along Washington Road

In NJ, on the way to

Princeton University Planted 1920's

When DED (Dutch Elm Disease) entered into the US around 1933, millions of American elms where killed. This spread throughout the US and by the 1960's people moved away from the Elms and started planting Ash, Oak and Maples. These trees too had their problems. They did not transplant well, slow growers or did not have the classical American elm look like the Princeton elm did.

Typical Street Planting

of American Elms.

Notice how close to the sidewalk

the trees can be planted.

This is attest to their deep

root systems.

Today as the American Elm is returning to the landscape due to propagation techniques and DED resistance, many street scapes are being replanted with the American Elm. With trees like the Ash being eliminated by emerald ash bore, the American Elm is getting looked at again. If you have thought about your community or property getting involved in the Return of the American Elm, then try the Princeton Elms. You will not be unhappy and with the fast growth rate, you will not have to wait to possible see an Allee of elms in your lifetime.

Follow us on Twitter

With Technology changing each and every day it seems, it is hard to keep up. Twitter is one of those new programs where you can follow certain people, events, businesses or causes by reading short 140 word description of what is going on. This may sound strange, but for news or upcoming events or just interesting facts, it shows to be very useful.

In keeping with this trend and providing information about the Princeton American Elm to all who would like to know, we have too signed up on Twitter. You can follow us on Twitter by searching for @Princetonelm and sign up as a follower from there. Like the blog, I am trying to keep fresh and up to date information as it happens on the Princeton Elm. So if you have not tried it yet, sign up and see what you can learn.

Free Shipping to Distributors!!!!

For those distributors looking for a good pre-sale on the Princeton, we are now offering free shipping on orders taken by the last week in August. This would be on full truckloads with a min. of 10 trees per stop or order. I know many of you are looking at July and August as your order times and if you could take the trees a little earlier, then we will pick up the tab on the shipping and landing fees.

Here is a picture from left to right of the 10 gal, 30 gal and 15 gal Princeton American Elms.

Also check us out on Twitter at Princetonelm in the search. I am updating activities and information daily there.

Thanks for all your support and continued interest in the Return of the American Elm. Call or email me with more questions you may have. Thanks!

Elms From Longwood Gardens and Baltimore

On a recent trip to Down Town Baltimore and to the prestine Longwood Gardens, I was able to see some mature American Elms. These are not Princeton, but I wanted you to see the size of the elms and the form of the classical elm shape that the Princeton will grow into with age.

This Mature Elm was in Downtown Baltimore very close to Camden Yards baseball Stadium. It was in a very old Church grounds, one of the historical churches there in the area. They have planted some Zelkova on the left and right of the elm some time back, but it is reaching up over the Zelkova and looked to be in good shape. This is one of the wetest Springs on record there in Baltimore and the trees looked very nice.

This American Elm was located at the Famous DuPont Estate of Longwood Gardens. It was by far the largest Elm I have seen in person with a 4' diameter truck. It has your classical American Elm shape and was planted in the early 1930's. This is the last of the giant elms on property as DED has removed them all but this one. It has had some back truck damage on the right side, but seems to be healing over. This may be from a large portion of the truck being cut off or broken in a storm? If you get a chance to visit the estate and gardens, dont miss it. It was quite an experience.

Updated Distributor List!

Princeton American Elm from a Garden Center into a Clients Yard!

If you are looking for the Princeton American Elm, please try them at one of our Certified Distributors. We currently have around 45 Distributors and adding them daily so check out your state and see who is carrying the Princeton American Elm. There is a list here in the blog in the right hand column. These Garden Centers have the trees and can help you with more than just trees, but can help you with your entire landscape needs. You can also visit our web site for this listing of Dist. and find more pictures and information on the Princeton American Elm. So contact your local Garden Center today and if they don't carry the Princeton Elm, then ask them to. Take Care! Jared

Earth Day For The Princeton Elm

All across American we have been celebration National Arbor Day and Earth Day! We here at Sharp Top Trees and the Princeton American Elm have been doing the same. Sharp Top has donated hundreds of the Princeton Elms to Schools, Foundations, Colleges and Communities. These trees have been planted across America in celebration of the Arbor Day and Earth Day events. It's our way to give back a little and get the Princeton American Elm back into the landscape for generations to enjoy.

Local School children help with a planting of the Princeton Elm! A Grand tree will soon fill this soccer field border.

Scenes like this have been and continue to happen all across the nation. We encourage you and your family or business to take part in the celebration by planting a tree in your community.

Birth Certificate - Beware of Imposters! Only Certified Princeton American Elms Are True DED Resistant!

As Many Imposter's appear in the Market, the Number One thing to Remember is that if the Princeton American Elm does not come with its own Birth Certificate, certifying that is grown on its own root and was born in the year of 2006 for example, then it is not a Sharp Top Tree River edge Brand Princeton American Elm and may not be totally DED (Dutch Elm Disease) Resistant.

If you can not prove it is grown on its on root, then planting, purchasing the tree is a waste, as it could die from DED if not on its own root. Here is a copy of the Birth Certificate we issue with each tree that leaves the Nursery. The Born on date will vary, but the certificate will not and each tree comes with its own Birth Certificate.

So check with your local Garden Centers and Nurseries to see if they carry the tree and if they dont, ask them too. Dont forget to check the blog here for list of Distributors in your area or email me if you need more information. jared@sharptoptree.com

Growing Grass Under the Princeton American Elms

Ever since there has been grass growing around and under trees in our yards it has been a job to keep the grass green, thick and lush under the canopy of these trees. Shade trees do their job well and sometimes to well. Some shade trees have high feeding roots that suck the moisture away from the grass and basically compete with the grass for water and nutrients. Like all American Elms the Princeton American Elm has deep feeding roots that go deep into the ground which secures the tree very well and does not have a lot of top feeding roots as do most other shade trees have.

8" Caliper Princeton in

Fescue Lawn..NICE!!!

The tree will always win this battle and the grass dries up and has nothing to feed on. Allot of these shade trees are also small headed and don’t shade as well as the more upright mature Princeton American Elms do.

Several studies have been done by the US Forestry Service that have concluded that American Elms are soil improving trees because the leaf drop adds a lot of potassium and calcium back into the soil thus improving it. The leaves also breakdown and decompose more rapidly than most other shade trees do.

I recommend taking a mulching mower and running over and grind up the leaf litter and let the grass come up thru the litter. This will help the soil around the tree by adding back vital nutrients and moisture that the grass and tree both need. But you will need to continue with the fertilizer program and watch the PH for the grass. The Princeton’s are much less adversely affected by a low or high PH, so I would adjust it to suit your grass needs.

Another point to be made is that the large mature tree canopy is very tall and upright with long graceful limbs that lets filtered sun light fall to the ground that the grass has to have. With the fact that the Princeton American Elm will give you years of shade, grass will grow under the tree if taken care of and the leaf litter adds nutrients back into the soil while not competing for as much moisture as other shade trees makes the Princeton American Elm the perfect shade tree. It simply does all of the good things listed above and then some. Oh yea, did I mention it sequesters carbon faster and produces more oxygen than just about all the native trees do in all of North America. I will cover that later in another report.

Scott Bowen, Grower, Sharp Top Trees

Ohio City Schools - One Lonely Elm!

Mr. Bookhardt,

I am the grounds Supervisor for Columbus City Schools and I mentioned that we have a mature American Elm at one of our facilities. You asked me to send you some pictures with a little information.

The tree is at our Fort Hayes Career Center. Fort Hayes started as an arsenal in the mid 1860. It was an active military base through the Vietnam years. In the 1970's Columbus City Schools took control of the 50 acres and its buildings and created a career center. Sections of the site are currently being renovated and one new building has just been completed.

The American Elm is located near the "General House", which now serves as an administrative building. The tree is in relatively good condition and is approximately 39" DBH. We had another similar size tree on the campus that died suddenly 2-3 years ago. This is the only American Elm that I know of in our school system. Our system consist of 150 sites and approximately 1400 acres.

Sorry the winter pictures are not that good but I hope you find the information interesting.
Sincerely,
Frank Dengg
Landscape and Grounds Supervisor
Columbus City Schools

Frank, Thanks for the story and the pictures. I hope we can work together and get some more Princeton Elms into the mix there at the City Schools. Thanks Again!

Temporarily Lost But Not Forgotten

Hi Jared...here's my first and only elm tale.

Searching for unusual trees is my hobby. Very early spring 2007 I came across a pallet(about 20 fifteen gall.) of Princeton American Elms sitting outside a local Home Depot. Unable to resist I excitedly purchased three(two for me and the other for a fellow plant geek friend). I still remember planting them in pouring rain and mud but I couldn't resist getting them in the ground a.s.a.p. As a garden designer I'm always in need of and searching for more plants. This brought me back to Home Depot later that summer. Much to my dismay I noticed those same elms had been moved to a corner of the parking lot and left to bake in the 90 degree sunshine on blacktop. These poor trees were surrounded by other plant material all of which had obviously been neglected. It seemed that nothing had been watered for days. A hand-made sign indicated that all plants in this area were 75% off. Most of the smaller shrubs and perennials were dead but to my surprise the elms were very much alive. There were seven left and I "rescued" them all certain I could find them good homes. I'm happy to report they're doing quite well today.My above mentioned friend and I each added one to our landscape and others have found spots in some of my clients yards. Not only are they thriving and growing quite fast but I must mention that these trees require little to no maintenance. I'm not sure what the moral of this story is but I can wholeheartedly recommend the Princeton American Elm to both plant geeks and regular folk alike!........Bernard Gross/Garden Partners

Thanks Bernard, I was very interested when you told me this story and also very excited that those Princeton American Elms where able to be saved. You do have a kind heart my friend!

Check out the next story or information on the elm comming soon!!!

Mail Order Princeton American Elms Now Available

With the growing demand Nationally for the Princeton American Elm, we here at Sharp Top Trees have now released two new sizes available for you, the homeowner. These are 7'+ Bare Root liners (See picture) and also the 3'-4' quarters (See picture) All are now available online!! You can order directly from our web site at: http://www.sharptoptree.com/princeton_am_elm.htm

Field of Bare Root Princeton American Elm's Ready to Ship Now until Spring Leaf out!!!

Here is Scott with a handful of freshly dug Princeton Elms Bare Root. These will need to be staked for the first year of life. Of course with your order, you would get planting, fertilization instructions and much more to help get your Elm off and growing to a great start!


The "Quarts" will be available year-round as they will still have soil. The bare root liners are only available this Winter and early Spring.

Also, you will notice the cleaned root system of the trees (See below). These trees are stored in the sawdust holding area while on irrigation to keep the roots moist until you open them up and plant them in your landscape.



If you need more information or ordering information, please feel free to contact me at (877) 387-1945 or at jared@sharptoptree.com

I look forward to sending you your New Princeton American elms!


Below is a picture of the 3' to 4' "Quarts" that can be mailed out year-round - even in full leaf! Shipping is usually 2 to 3 days in the USA!!

10 Gal Princeton American Elms Now Available!

Great news! Sharp Top Trees is now offering a 10 gallon squat containers of the Princeton American Elm. A 10 gallon squat pot is the same diameter as a standard 15 gallon, but not as deep. This will be a tree that is 9'-10' tall and have a caliper from 1" to 1.15". These are one year behind in growing from the standard 15 gallon trees. They also weigh less than the standard 15 gallon, weighing around 65 lbs. instead of the 80lbs of the 15 gallon type. These are Nicely Branched and you can see from the below photo that they are a very beautiful tree.

Garden Centers and Homeowners alike will find that these trees are appealing from a size, weight and cost standpoint. Feel free to call me and get your discounted cost today.

10 Gal Princeton American Elm & Block of 10 Gallon ready for Sale!

Planting is the same as the 15 gallon, but the hole would not have to be as deep. Remember, many people dig the holes too deep and this causes the plant to sink-in over time if it is not already too deep in the ground. The Princeton Elm is very forgiving of this, but if you dig a hole too deep, then backfill the hole and firm the bottom of the hole to make sure the plant does not sink over time. The roots will find their way into the new surounding soil.

Another important aspect to remember about the NEW 10 gallon Princeton American Elm is to keep it staked for the first year. This will ensure a straight tree until it can stand on its own.

If you are interested in getting the 10 gallon Princeton American Elm, please contact me today at (866) 387-1945 or at jared@sharptoptree.com.