Elms resistant to Dutch elm disease: what the sources list
What the Morton Arboretum, North Dakota State University Extension, Clemson Cooperative Extension and Forest Research say about elm species and selections that resist Dutch elm disease: the resistant species, the American elm selections, a hybrid, and how the ratings differ from source to source.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the named sources say. It does not recommend a tree for any site. Each fact names its source, all read on October 9, 2026. The disease itself is on the Dutch elm disease page, and the pests and diseases tied to elm are on the elm register.
What resistant means in these sources
The Morton Arboretum says the resistant cultivars and hybrids are resistant to the disease but not completely immune. North Dakota State University Extension says no elm species or cultivar is immune, though elms vary in how susceptible they are. The Arboretum adds that older hybrids may be more susceptible and that all the cultivars it lists were selected to be relatively resistant to Dutch elm disease, with varying resistance to other elm problems such as elm leaf beetle and elm yellows. Clemson says that Asian elms are very resistant while most European and North American elms are not.
Resistant species
The Morton Arboretum names lacebark elm and Siberian elm as highly resistant. Clemson says Chinese elm is very highly resistant to Dutch elm disease and to elm leaf beetles, and adds that wind-blown fruit has made it somewhat invasive from landscape plantings farther north in the United States. Forest Research describes a different kind of protection in Britain: beetles that spread the fungus prefer English elm and feed least on wych elm. Wych elm that is infected dies more readily than English elm, but often avoids infection because the beetles feed on it less, so Forest Research says it is considered to have field resistance.
American elm selections as the sources rate them
| Selection | Morton Arboretum | Other sources |
|---|---|---|
| Valley Forge | Excellent resistance, vase-shaped | Clemson: very resistant, susceptible to elm yellows, a US National Arboretum release. North Dakota State: very resistant but branch attachments may be weaker than desired, and some trees grew so vigorously that the central leader became top-heavy. |
| Jefferson | Excellent resistance, vase-shaped | Clemson: highly resistant and highly susceptible to elm yellows. North Dakota State: high resistance, little tested there. |
| New Harmony | Excellent resistance, vase-shaped | Clemson: resistant, but not as much as Valley Forge, and susceptible to elm yellows. North Dakota State: high resistance, little tested there. |
| Princeton | Good resistance, some resistance to elm leaf beetle | Clemson: moderate resistance. North Dakota State: highly resistant, with concern about acute branch angles. |
| Prairie Expedition (Lewis and Clark) | Excellent resistance, vase-shaped | North Dakota State: high resistance, cold hardy, and the original tree survived the first wave of the disease in that state. |
The Arboretum notes that the American elm selections keep the vase shape of the native tree. The ratings differ between sources, for example for Princeton, so the table repeats each source's wording rather than one verdict. North Dakota State Extension says American Liberty, Brandon, Independence, Minneapolis Park and Washington are not recommended there because of poor resistance or lack of cold hardiness, and Clemson says American Liberty is less resistant than Valley Forge and New Harmony.
Hybrids and Asian selections
The Morton Arboretum says most of the other resistant trees are hybrids of American, Asian and European elms, and some are selections of species seen to resist the disease. It lists Accolade as a hybrid of Asian species rated very good against Dutch elm disease, elm yellows and elm leaf beetle, and says it introduced it through Chicagoland Grows. It describes Frontier as a United States National Arboretum hybrid with good resistance to Dutch elm disease and elm yellows and moderate resistance to elm leaf beetle, and Clemson gives it high resistance to the disease. The Arboretum also lists Commendation, Danada Charm, Emerald Sunshine and Homestead with their own resistance notes.
Britain and Europe
Forest Research calls the main hope for restoring large elms to the British landscape the identification and breeding of variants resistant to or tolerant of the fungus. It says work is being done in Britain and continental Europe, including tolerant hybrid cultivars, and names the Conservation Foundation as the main British organisation working in this area. Its Dutch elm disease page also notes that Britain has millions of young elms in hedgerows that become infected and die once they reach a size the beetles can detect.
Sources
- The Morton Arboretum, elm cultivars page, read October 9, 2026
- The Morton Arboretum, Dutch elm disease symptoms and management, read October 9, 2026
- The Morton Arboretum, American elm page, read October 9, 2026
- North Dakota State University Extension, Elms for North Dakota (F1893, revised November 2023), read October 9, 2026
- Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home and Garden Information Center, elm factsheet, read October 9, 2026
- Forest Research, Dutch elm disease (Ophiostoma novo-ulmi) page, read October 9, 2026