Albion Trees

Ulmus americana L. – Ulmaceae – elm family

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American elms used to be extremely common street trees in Albion until Dutch elm disease, which is caused by an invasive sac fungus, hit them hard in the 1960s.  However, there are still scattered large individuals around that survived.  According to Susan Crawford Rieske, Albion’s former urban forester, many of the lost elms were replaced with silver maples, which are now extremely common street trees in Albion.

American elms are beginning a comeback as a popular resistant cultivar ‘American liberty’ has been planted in Albion over the last 25 years, due initially to the efforts of Rieske.   Currently, the city tree committee is working to make liberty elms available to the general public for planting at a very nominal cost.