Latest news with #DutchElmDisease
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
The Lost Elms by Mandy Haggith review – cultural history of a noble tree
Just as the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 did not originate in Spain, so Dutch elm disease is no fault of the Netherlands. It acquired the name thanks to the pioneering efforts of three Dutch scientists – Marie Beatrice Schol-Schwarz, Christine Buisman and Johanna Westerdijk – who identified the beetle-transported fungus that causes it in the 1920s. Nor is the so-called 'English elm' (Ulmus minor) really English, inasmuch as it is thought to have been transferred here from Italy, so Reform UK party enthusiasts should probably agitate to repatriate all such specimens. More confidently thought native to these isles is the wych elm (from the Old English for 'supple') or Scots elm, which has long been thought to have healing and protective qualities. Our scholarly guide to this noble plant, Mandy Haggith, delves enthusiastically into such lore. The 17th-century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper said that elm was connected to the planet Saturn and that its leaves could fix broken bones. Modern 'healers' promise that drinking a decoction of elm bark can purge phlegm and stop diarrhoea. Haggith cites a present-day 'Massachusetts-based herbalist and druid' who claims that slippery elm milk is good for insomnia. It would be unkind to call this sort of thing merely barking. The author insists that 'a western scientific worldview' (in other words, a scientific worldview, shared by scientists in China and India) 'is absolutely not the only way forests can be thought about', which is fair enough. But the fake cures of the 'wellness' industry are not without their own ecological downsides: as Haggith writes later, fashionable pseudo-remedies gone viral on TikTok or whatever can inspire the stripping of bark from healthy trees at injurious scale. Happily, elmwood was not only the preserve of quacks; it was also a sought-after material in shipbuilding (most of the hull of the fast clipper Cutty Sark was made of rock elm), and long before that for making spears and bows: an iron age Celtic tribe was known as 'the ones who vanquish by the elm' (Lemovices). Medieval London, Bristol and other cities had running water delivered by mains pipes of elm. And elm is also the source of a famous insult: when the great Samuel Johnson claimed that there was no Gaelic literature, a poet responded with the Gaelic for 'your head is made entirely of elm, especially your tongue and your gums'. Luckily, although Dutch elm disease has killed hundreds of millions of trees since the early 20th century, the species is not lost, or even on the brink of extinction. Brighton, Haggith sees, is managing the blight well through city-wide surveillance and timely surgery. And the fossil record suggests that elms have previously suffered waves of pandemic disease before bouncing back. There will be time for more poetic mentions of elms of the kind the author rather exhaustively collects towards the end. ('Robert Frost was a big fan of elm trees …') But the greater part of this book's devotion, and its delight, is reserved for living specimens in their habitats. Two rows of elms, Haggith notes, can form a 'corridor for wildlife, dog walkers and feral children', or 'a church-like nave, an arch-shaped cloister that draws the eye' towards a monastery in Beauly. A cheerfully self-described 'tree-hugger', she is inspired to her best writing by close observation of the trees themselves. On an elm growing horizontally out of the rock near a Scottish loch: 'I stand beneath it, neck craned in awe, looking up into the lush green profusion of its living community. It is winter, so all this greenery isn't the tree's own leaves, but photosynthesising life using it as a climbing frame'. Elsewhere she finds beauty even in a diseased log, happily noting the 'beautiful doily pattern made by the brood-chamber and feeding passages of the grubs'. And her enthusiasm is contagious. As someone who began this book with literally no idea what an elm looks like, I was inspired to download the Woodland Trust tree-ID app and resolve to pay more attention to our ligneous friends. Sign up to Bookmarks Discover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews, interviews and news stories. Literary delights delivered direct to you after newsletter promotion The Lost Elms: A Love Letter to Our Vanished Trees by Mandy Haggith is published by Headline (£22). To support the Guardian buy a copy at Delivery charges may apply.
The Guardian
23-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
The Lost Elms by Mandy Haggith review – cultural history of a noble tree
Just as the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 did not originate in Spain, so Dutch elm disease is no fault of the Netherlands. It acquired the name thanks to the pioneering efforts of three Dutch scientists – Marie Beatrice Schol-Schwarz, Christine Buisman and Johanna Westerdijk – who identified the beetle-transported fungus that causes it in the 1920s. Nor is the so-called 'English elm' (Ulmus minor) really English, inasmuch as it is thought to have been transferred here from Italy, so Reform UK party enthusiasts should probably agitate to repatriate all such specimens. More confidently thought native to these isles is the wych elm (from the Old English for 'supple') or Scots elm, which has long been thought to have healing and protective qualities. Our scholarly guide to this noble plant, Mandy Haggith, delves enthusiastically into such lore. The 17th-century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper said that elm was connected to the planet Saturn and that its leaves could fix broken bones. Modern 'healers' promise that drinking a decoction of elm bark can purge phlegm and stop diarrhoea. Haggith cites a present-day 'Massachusetts-based herbalist and druid' who claims that slippery elm milk is good for insomnia. It would be unkind to call this sort of thing merely barking. The author insists that 'a western scientific worldview' (in other words, a scientific worldview, shared by scientists in China and India) 'is absolutely not the only way forests can be thought about', which is fair enough. But the fake cures of the 'wellness' industry are not without their own ecological downsides: as Haggith writes later, fashionable pseudo-remedies gone viral on TikTok or whatever can inspire the stripping of bark from healthy trees at injurious scale. Happily, elmwood was not only the preserve of quacks; it was also a sought-after material in shipbuilding (most of the hull of the fast clipper Cutty Sark was made of rock elm), and long before that for making spears and bows: an iron age Celtic tribe was known as 'the ones who vanquish by the elm' (Lemovices). Medieval London, Bristol and other cities had running water delivered by mains pipes of elm. And elm is also the source of a famous insult: when the great Samuel Johnson claimed that there was no Gaelic literature, a poet responded with the Gaelic for 'your head is made entirely of elm, especially your tongue and your gums'. Luckily, although Dutch elm disease has killed hundreds of millions of trees since the early 20th century, the species is not lost, or even on the brink of extinction. Brighton, Haggith sees, is managing the blight well through city-wide surveillance and timely surgery. And the fossil record suggests that elms have previously suffered waves of pandemic disease before bouncing back. There will be time for more poetic mentions of elms of the kind the author rather exhaustively collects towards the end. ('Robert Frost was a big fan of elm trees …') But the greater part of this book's devotion, and its delight, is reserved for living specimens in their habitats. Two rows of elms, Haggith notes, can form a 'corridor for wildlife, dog walkers and feral children', or 'a church-like nave, an arch-shaped cloister that draws the eye' towards a monastery in Beauly. A cheerfully self-described 'tree-hugger', she is inspired to her best writing by close observation of the trees themselves. On an elm growing horizontally out of the rock near a Scottish loch: 'I stand beneath it, neck craned in awe, looking up into the lush green profusion of its living community. It is winter, so all this greenery isn't the tree's own leaves, but photosynthesising life using it as a climbing frame'. Elsewhere she finds beauty even in a diseased log, happily noting the 'beautiful doily pattern made by the brood-chamber and feeding passages of the grubs'. And her enthusiasm is contagious. As someone who began this book with literally no idea what an elm looks like, I was inspired to download the Woodland Trust tree-ID app and resolve to pay more attention to our ligneous friends. Sign up to Bookmarks Discover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews, interviews and news stories. Literary delights delivered direct to you after newsletter promotion The Lost Elms: A Love Letter to Our Vanished Trees by Mandy Haggith is published by Headline (£22). To support the Guardian buy a copy at Delivery charges may apply.
CTV News
20-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Dutch Elm Disease spreading in Regina
WATCH: Dutch Elm Disease is spreading in Regina, with city officials confirming 18 new cases in the past two weeks. Wayne Mantyka reports.
CBC
19-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Dutch elm disease detected in north Edmonton as city battles deadly tree fungus
Social Sharing A devastating and highly contagious tree fungus has been detected in north Edmonton, the latest case of a deadly disease that puts Edmonton's vast canopy of urban elms under threat. In a statement this week, city officials confirmed that a new case of Dutch elm disease has been detected in Edmonton. The infected tree in the north Edmonton neighbourhood of Alberta Avenue, as well as any elms within a 20-metre radius, will be removed as part of ongoing efforts to contain the spread. The infected tree was recently spotted by city crews along the boulevard. A positive result was received from a provincial lab on Wednesday, marking the sixth confirmed case of the disease since it was first detected in Edmonton last August. The contagious fungal infection — spread by elm bark beetles and spores from infected wood — pose a major risk to other elm in the vicinity, the city said. Extensive additional testing in the area is underway. City officials have been monitoring the infection in partnership with federal officials since it was first detected in the city last summer with case numbers expected to rise. According to a statement Friday, a total of 369 elms have been removed in the city to date as part of ongoing containment efforts. The total includes two destroyed so far in Alberta Avenue. "This additional confirmed case does not change our approach as we continue assessments, removals and testing in co-ordination with the province and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency," said Mark Beare, Edmonton's director of infrastructure operations, in a statement. "While any positive test is disappointing, we remain confident that this collaborative approach is helping to limit the spread of the disease." Urban forests under threat Dutch elm disease poses a threat to all species of elm in Alberta. The fungus, caused by microfungi that infiltrate a tree and clogs its water-conducting systems, has killed millions of elms in North America over the past century and has begun to proliferate across Prairie cities. In Edmonton, the potential losses are particularly acute. The capital region is home to more than 90,000 city-owned elms, accounting for more than 22 per cent of Edmonton's urban forest canopy. The city has been bracing for years for the potential arrival of the destructive fungus as it crept west across the country, devastating urban forest canopies. An action plan, now being implemented to limit the damage, was first developed in 2020. In an effort to slow the spread, crews have been conducting routine inspections along Edmonton's tree-lined streets and boulevards, watching for signs of infection. More than 55,000 trees citywide have been assessed for signs of infection. Any elms that appear sickly – with telltale wilting yellow leaves – are tested, and trees believed to be infected are immediately destroyed. An ongoing program to remove deadwood in elms is also necessary to reduce the habitat of the beetles, which may spread the fungus, the city said. "City arborists, urban foresters and the pest management team remain vigilant as we continue implementing the established Dutch elm disease management plan, including intensified surveillance of elm trees," Beare said. The infection has to date been detected in northeast Edmonton in the Killarney and Yellowhead Corridor East neighbourhoods. Enhanced monitoring and assessments of trees within a one-kilometre radius of the infected trees remain in place, the city said. Edmontonians are encouraged to report any signs of infestation to 311. Infected trees may have dead branches or browning leaves. Their trunks may have holes or sawdust on the bark from burrowing beetles. The city is also reminding Edmontonians not to bring firewood from elsewhere, to properly prune elms during the colder seasons and properly dispose of any deadwood or clippings at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre.
CTV News
18-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Dutch Elm Disease found in trees at Regina's Wascana Centre
The province says two trees in Wascana Centre have been removed after testing positive for Dutch Elm Disease. According to the province, the trees were removed July 14 near Goose Hill and the Saskatchewan Science Centre. Since 2015, there have been five confirmed cases of Dutch Elm Disease in Wascana Centre, the province said. One case in 2014, one in 2019, one in 2024 and two in 2025. The Provincial Capital Commission (PCC) is responsible for the maintenance and future of the urban forest in the Wascana Centre as well as around Government House. 'Elm trees are an important part of Regina's tree canopy cover,' PCC executive director Jenna Schroeder said in a news release. 'Wascana Centre is proud to be a place where friends and families can gather and enjoy the outdoors at one of our many picnic spots.' 'To ensure the continued health of our trees, we remind visitors that it is illegal to transport, store or buy elm firewood,' she added. Wascana Centre also released its master plan for growth moving forward earlier this month. The City of Regina said on July 3 that it was seeing a Dutch Elm Disease outbreak, with 16 trees testing positive for the disease so far. Ray Morgan, the acting director of parks and open space services at the City of Regina, said the numbers so far are concerning. 'If it's this early in the season, our projection is it's going to be a long season for Dutch Elm Disease,' he said on July 3. 'We are about two weeks earlier than normal.' More to come…
