Ulmus_davidiana_var._japonica_'JFS-Bieberich' Knowpia

*Ulmus davidiana* var. *japonica* 'JFS-Bieberich'
Ulmus davidiana var. japonica 'JFS-Bieberich'
Variety	Ulmus davidiana var. japonica
Cultivar	'JFS-Bieberich' = Emerald Sunshine
Origin	Sunshine Nursery, Oklahoma, US

Ulmus davidiana var. japonica 'JFS-Bieberich' (sold as Emerald Sunshine) is a Japanese Elm cultivar that was raised by the Sunshine Nursery, Oklahoma, from seed collected in China by proprietor Steve Bieberich.^[1] Emerald Sunshine proved only moderately successful in the US National Elm Trial, averaging a survival rate of 70% overall.^[2]

Description edit

Emerald Sunshine attains a height of 9 m and develops a neat vase shape, the crown < 7.5 m in width borne by a stout stem. The cultivar has thick, deep-green leaves [2] turning dull yellow in the fall. Trees planted as part of the National Elm Trial at the Bowley Plant Science Teaching Center, U C Davis, in northern California grew comparatively slowly, increasing in height by 1 m and d.b.h. by 1.6 cm per annum.^[3] The tree was summarized by Michael Dirr, Professor of Horticulture at the University of Georgia as 'impressive' [3].

Pests and diseases edit

Emerald Sunshine is resistant to Dutch elm disease and Elm Yellows (Phloem necrosis). Foliage of trees under assessment at the aforementioned National elm trial site at U C Davis suffered minimal damage caused by the elm leaf beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola,^[3] whilst damage caused by Japanese Beetle in trials at the University of Kentucky was found to be slight, owing to the dense pubescence on the underside of the leaves.^[4]^[5]

Cultivation edit

Emerald Sunshine is tolerant of high pH levels and soil compaction; it is also very resistant to desiccating winds.^[1] The species does not sucker from roots.^[6]

The cultivar is represented in Europe by five young grafted trees at the Noordplant nursery, Glimmen, The Netherlands; it is not known to have been introduced to Australasia.

Accessions edit

North America edit

University of Idaho Arboretum, US. Acc. no. 2006033

Nurseries edit

North America

J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. [4], Boring, Oregon, US.

Synonymy edit

Ulmus propinqua C. K. Schneid. 'JFS-Bieberich' = Emerald Sunshine

Etymology edit

Named 'JFS' for the J. Frank Schmidt nursery, Oregon, and 'Bieberich' for the proprietor of the Sunshine Nursery in Oklahoma.

References edit

^ ^a ^b Davis, T. (2007). Ulmus Emerald Sunshine. Nursery Management & Production, August 2007
^ Griffin, J.; et al. (2017). "Ten-Year Performance of the United States National Elm Trial" (PDF). Arboriculture & Urban Forestry. 43(3):107–120. International Society of Arboriculture, Atlanta, US.
^ ^a ^b McPherson, G. et al. (2008). National elm trial: Initial report from Northern California. Western Arborist, Fall 2009, 32–36.
^ Brady, C., Condra, J., & Potter, D. (2008) Resistance of Landscape-suitable Elm (Ulmus spp.) Cultivars to Japanese Beetle, Leaf Miners, and Gall Makers. 2008 Research Report, Nursery & Landscape Program, 15–16. University of Kentucky.
^ Dirr, M. (2009). 'Future Tree Selections'. Western, Spring 2009, p.8. Western Nursery & Landscape Association, St Joseph, Missouri.[1]
^ Heybroek, Hans M. (1981). "The Japanese elm species and their value for the Dutch elm breeding program" (PDF). Proceedings of the Dutch Elm Disease Symposium and Workshop, October 5–9, Winnipeg, Manitoba: 78–90.