Hybrid parentage U. pumila × U. rubra Origin USA | Cultivar 'Fremont' | |
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Ulmus 'Fremont' is a little-known American hybrid cultivar propagated from a tree found on the Lloyd Moffet property (formerly the Plumfield Nursery) at Fremont, Nebraska. The hybrid is believed to have arisen from a crossing of Ulmus pumila (female parent) and one of the spring-flowering elms native to North America, probably Ulmus rubra.
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Description
'Fremont' was described as having a single-stemmed structure.
Pests and diseases
During the five-year USDA - ARS North Central Region trial period, there was no indication of any disease or insect pests. However, there is no record of the tree having been scientifically tested by inoculation for resistance to Dutch elm disease.
USDA trial
The USDA - ARS North Central Region trial in the 1950s saw 50 plants of this clone, obtained from the L. R. Sjulin Inter-State Nurseries of Hamburg, Iowa, established at 29 sites in the seven states. As a consequence of the trial, 'Fremont' was considered suitable for planting across the north central region, with the exception of North Dakota and the extreme north of Minnesota. The clone was recommended as a specimen tree for urban lawns and streets, particularly 'in situations requiring quick shade'. However, the tree does not appear to have been a commercial success.
Three specimens planted at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum in 1957 died or were removed owing to storm damage or poor branching. Sites reporting survival after five years included Fargo, ND, Hays, KS, Benkleman, NE, Madison, WI, Ames, IA, Highmore, SD, Colby, KS, Hastings, NE, North Platte, NE. It is not known whether 'Fremont' was ever introduced to Europe or Australasia.