Dutch Elm Disease in the United Kingdom

Dutch Elm Disease has had a particularly visible impact in the United Kingdom. Two waves — Ophiostoma ulmi in the 1920s and the more virulent Ophiostoma novo-ulmi from 1967 onward — killed an estimated 25 million elm trees and dramatically altered the lowland English landscape. A small number of geographically isolated populations of mature English elm and wych elm survive, notably in Brighton and Edinburgh.

First wave: 1920s

Dutch Elm Disease was first scientifically described in the Netherlands in the early 1920s, with significant losses across European elm populations. Britain's first wave was relatively contained — the Ophiostoma ulmi strain was less virulent than what would follow, and many infected trees survived multiple seasons. Estimated losses from the first wave were in the low millions.

Second wave: 1967 onward

The arrival of Ophiostoma novo-ulmi in southern England in 1967 — likely via infected elm logs imported from Canada — triggered a second wave of catastrophic mortality. The new strain spread rapidly through the densely planted English elm hedgerows that defined the lowland English countryside.

By the early 1990s, an estimated 25 million elms had died in Britain. The visual change to the British countryside within a generation was profound: long lines of tall, billowing English elms that had appeared constantly in landscape paintings (notably John Constable's) and in literature were largely gone.

Surviving populations

Several geographically or climatically isolated populations have retained mature elm trees:

Brighton and Hove — A South Coast city protected from beetle migration by the South Downs to the north and the English Channel to the south, combined with an active municipal sanitation program. Estimated 15,000–17,000 mature elms remain, including the National Elm Collection.

Edinburgh — Scotland's capital retains many mature wych elms (Ulmus glabra) thanks to a cooler climate that limits beetle activity, plus active monitoring.

Cornish hedgerows — Some clonal populations persist by repeatedly resprouting from root systems before reaching the diameter that attracts beetle attack.

The Conservation Foundation's Great British Elm Experiment — A long-term project distributing micropropagated DED-resistant clones derived from surviving elms.

Outside these refugia, mature elms in the UK are scarce. Most "elm" trees in modern British hedgerows are juvenile root suckers that grow until they reach the diameter (approximately 5 inches at breast height) at which elm bark beetles colonize them, then succumb to DED.

Research and breeding

Several UK institutions have led research and conservation efforts:

Forest Research (Alice Holt, Surrey) — biosecurity and disease epidemiology research

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh — significant elm collection and conservation work

The Conservation Foundation — coordinates the Great British Elm Experiment

Butterfly Conservation — interest in elms because of the white-letter hairstreak butterfly (Satyrium w-album), whose larvae feed exclusively on elm

Quarantine and regulations

Movement of elm wood within the UK is regulated under the Plant Health Order. The Forestry Commission monitors elm health and enforces controls on the movement of plant material. Brighton and Hove operates additional local controls that have been credited with the city's elm population's survival.

Current status

Active municipal management continues in the surviving-elm cities. Replanting with disease-resistant cultivars has been adopted gradually, though the pace has been slower than in North America. The return of mature elms to the British countryside at the scale they once occupied would require decades of resistant variety planting combined with continued protection of surviving genetic stock.

Related pages

Dutch Elm Disease by Region

Dutch Elm Disease in Brighton and Hove

Dutch Elm Disease in Edinburgh

English Elm (Ulmus minor)

Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra)

References

Brasier, C. M. (1991). "Ophiostoma novo-ulmi sp. nov., causative agent of current Dutch elm disease pandemics." Mycopathologia, 115(3), 151–161.

Brookes, A. (2010). "Dutch elm disease in Brighton & Hove." Quarterly Journal of Forestry, 104(1), 27–32.

Buggs, R. J. A. (2020). "The future of British elms." Plants, People, Planet, 2(2), 119–131.

Webber, J. F. (2000). "Insect vector behavior and the evolution of Dutch elm disease." In The Elms: Breeding, Conservation, and Disease Management (pp. 47–60). Kluwer Academic Publishers.