Seeds of the American elm

By Aaron Horrell

The American elm is an interesting tree. Shown here are seeds of an elm I photographed March 20.

The tree is least 50 feet tall and is probably about 45 years old.

Elm trees are widespread across the Northern hemisphere from China to Europe to North America.

Dutch-elm disease is a fungi spread by an insect called the elm-bark beetle.

This disease first was discovered in the Netherlands by Dutch scientists.

The disease was traced back to China, and in the early 1900s, North America's elms came under attack after infected timber was imported from a foreign country.

The root system of an elm infected by Dutch-elm disease may live on and continue to send up new growth many years after the main tree has died.

The new saplings may live long enough to make seed, but sadly, this new growth seldom lives long enough to produce good lumber.