Sunshine Nursery & Arboretum
Elm Leaf Beetle Survey

The spread of the elm leaf beetle, Xanthogaleruca luteola, in the late 1950's has been a fatal blow to the popularity of the elms.  Many species are severely damaged or completely defoliated by midsummer, rendering them useless as a shade tree.

It is fairly well known that some species, such as Ulmus parvifolia, are not preferred food for elm leaf beetles. Our goal at Sunshine Arboretum is to identify other species and varieties that are not severely damaged by the beetles and to make selections for ornamental characteristics and adaptability tot he Southern Great Plains. 

The elm leaf beetle population for the summer of 1999 was moderate, and moderate to heavy in 2000 at Sunshine Arboretum.  Below are the results of the 1999 and 2000 elm leaf beetle feeding survey.  A low score does not necessarily indicate a resistance to elm leaf beetle feeding, only that it did not show damage in that year.  We will survey for five to ten years in order to provide good data to indicate which trees are not preferred by the elm leaf beetle. 

There is no data available for 2001 and 2002 because of an unusual lack of elm beetle population in the Clinton area.

 

Scoring: 0 = no damage, 1 = slight, 2 = moderate, 3 = heavy, 4 = severe

Accession #

Botanical name

Cultivar

1999 Score

2000 Score

4487

Ulmus alata

0

1.5

970003

Ulmus alata

2

1.5

940127

Ulmus americana NA#57846

2

2

940348

Ulmus americana NA#57846

0

1

970130

Ulmus americana

'Flick's spreader'

1

1.5

960066

Ulmus americana NA#57842

'Valley Forge'

0.5

0.5

960083-A

Ulmus Bergmanniana

0

0

960083-B

Ulmus Bergmanniana

0

0.5

960083-C

Ulmus Bergmanniana

0

0.5

940229

Ulmus carpinifolia

'Gracilis'

2

2.5

960082

Ulmus castaneifolia

0

0.5

950038-A

Ulmus chenmouii

0

0

950038-B

Ulmus chenmouii

0

0

4387

Ulmus crassifolia

0

0.5

970132-A

Ulmus crassifolia

0.5

2

970132-B

Ulmus crassifolia

0.5

950036-A

Ulmus Davidiana

2.5

4

950036-B

Ulmus Davidiana

0.5

1.5

950036-C

Ulmus Davidiana

0.5

1

960092

Ulmus Davidiana

0.5

1

950159

Ulmus Davidiana var. Mandshurica

1

1

960146-A

Ulmus Davidiana var. Mandshurica

0

1

960146-B

Ulmus Davidiana var. Mandshurica

0.5

0.5

960146-C

Ulmus Davidiana var. Mandshurica

0

1.5

960081-A

Ulmus gaussenii

0.5

0.5

960081-B

Ulmus gaussenii

0

0.5

960081-C

Ulmus gaussenii

0.5

0.5

9226

Ulmus glabra

'Camperdownii'

2

3

990027-A

Ulmus glaucescens

0

0

990027-B

Ulmus glaucescens

0

0

960145-A

Ulmus glaucescens var. lasiocarpa

2

3

960145-B

Ulmus glaucescens var. lasiocarpa

3

3

960145-C

Ulmus glaucescens var. lasiocarpa

0.5

3

960067-A

Ulmus japonica

0

0.5

960067-B

Ulmus japonica NA#64463

0

0.5

960095

Ulmus japonica var. suberosa

0

0.5

960094-B

Ulmus laciniata

3.5

4

960094-C

Ulmus laciniata

3

4

980017-A

Ulmus laciniata

1

3

980017-B

Ulmus laciniata