CHARLES REYNOLDS: Drake elms grow well in Central Florida

Drake elm These elms grow well in Central Florida Whenever I mention cultivating elms in Florida, someone brings up Dutch elm disease. Luckily, tha...

June 25, 2022
4:02 AM

Drake elm These elms grow well in Central Florida Whenever I mention cultivating elms in Florida, someone brings up Dutch elm disease. Luckily, that fatal fungal malady — thought to have originated in Asia before spreading to Europe and North America — has never been detected in peninsular Florida. In fact, the Sunshine State is awash with both native and exotic elms. By far the most common elm in our landscapes is a beautiful weeping variety of Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia). Although the species can grow 80 feet tall, the weeping form — often called Drake elm — is generally under 50 feet tall, with an equally wide canopy.

Charles Reynolds