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Super cold hardy & disease resistant.

Ulmus Commendation™

Cold hardy and excellent disease resistance make this the perfect choise for northern climates.

Commendation™ elm was selected for its rapid growth, robust size, cold tolerance, broad adaptability, and excellent resistance to Dutch elm disease. This tree with its symmetrical arching branches develops an attractive upright to oval habit over time. The large, dark green leaves turn yellow in autumn. It is moderately susceptible to insect problems, notably elm leaf beetle, Japanese beetle, and gypsy moth. Resulting from a controlled cross conducted by Dr. George Ware at The Morton Arboretum using Accolade™ elm (U. davidiana var. japonica) as the female parent and a hybrid elm (U. pumila × U. minor) wild-collected in Russia as the male parent.

Please note: We don't sell plants. Asking your local retailer or googling the plant name is the easiest way to find someone selling our plants.

Please note: Download hi-res photos from the photo gallery at the bottom of the page.


Who Am I?

  • Common Name

    Commendation elm
  • Botanical Name

    Ulmus 'Morton Stalwart'
  • Type

    Tree
  • Origin

    The elm improvement program at The Morton Arboretum was initiated to address the need for an alternative to the American elm which was suffering signifi cant losses at the time due to Dutch elm disease. Hundreds of open-pollinated seedlings were examined and evaluated for Dutch elm disease-resistance, production ease, hardiness, and landscape performance in the Midwestern U.S. Commendation™ elm which is a fast-growing and robust tree with an oval habit and yellow fall color.


Cultural Details

  • Size

    50-60' tall by 40-50' wide at maturity
  • Hardiness Zone

    4-9
  • Light

    Full sun
  • Soil

    Tolerant of most soil types, but not exessively moist
  • Moisture

    Moist, but well-drained
  • Disease & Pests

    Excellent resistance to Dutch elm disease and elm yellows
  • Landscape Use

    Specimen, large parks, extensive lawn areas, parkways, golf courses, parking lots, street tree
  • Propagation

    Grafting

Available Photos

Hover over images to download hi-res files.