Ulmus 'CAMPERDOWNII'

Camperdown elm is an attractive variety of wych elm with cascade-weeping branches. The leaves are dark green, deciduous, 10-15, sometimes up to 20 cm long. This tree makes a fascinating specimen with picturesque habit of limbs that soon touch the ground. Pruning is not needed, however, some cutting can be down in early spring if you wish to shape it. There are older plants around the world that look like an oversized bonsai thanks to some cutting.

It was first discovered by the Earl Camperdown’s head forester of Camperdown House in Scotland in about 1840. He found a contorted branch on a standard elm and asked the gardener to graft it. The result was a tree with a weeping crown which fully satisfied the passion for curiosities in the mid-Victorian times.

Elm is not picky about soil type if it is well-drained. This one in particular prefers constant moisture so we recommend mulching it sufficiently to prevent it from drying out in hot summer months. It is best grown in full sun in an open site where it can fully display its crown. Fully hardy to about -34°C (USDA zone 4).

Last update 04-01-2011