Tree Information: ID 103

• Species: Elm
  Ulmus minor (smooth-leaved)
• Council: Epping Parish: Bobbingworth
• Form: MaidenStatus:Notable
• Girth: 3.0mHeight:20 PlusAge:1800-1850
• Context: Roadside
• TPO number: Veteran Tree No.:VT B004
• Grid Ref: TL 52414 05102
  
• Accessibility: Public - partial access next to right of way
• Nominator: Colin Thompson
• Date Entered: 20 Sep 2006
• Photograph©Date taken:

Reason for nomination:

• " Most Elms have been destroyed by Dutch Elm Disease this Elm has survived and is therefore rare." Colin Thompson "This tree is infact the rare and native Elm - Ulmus minor or Smooth-leaved Elm. It is rarer than our so called English Elm which been tracked back to a clone of sterile suckering elms growing in Italy, in the province of Latium, the area around Rome, from whence a Roman by the name of Lucius Junius Moderadus Columella propagated them as root suckers to provide trees up which to grow his vines in c.AD50. He introduced the clone (known locally as the Atinian Elm), and the practice, to Andalusia (N.Spain) where he also had a vineyard, and it is assumed that from there (or perhaps more directly) they were exported to Britain, either to train vines in Roman Britain, or as a source of leaf hay." Ken Adams

Remarks & Tree condition:

• A mature Elm - a rare survivor. Perhaps, this trees isolation has seen it survive while others have all fallen victim to Dutch Elm disease? This tree stands alone to the south of Lower Bobbingworth Green beside the A414 between Chipping Ongar and North Weald on the cross roads between Rachels Lane and Blake Hall Road.