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History of SAVE OUR ELMS

SAVE OUR ELMS Mission Statement

Protect and inoculate all Ladd's Addition's American Elms.
Public education on tree care.
Community partnerships with parks, schools, local groups.
Replant lost elms (with disease-resistant varieties) and other neighborhood street trees based on the Ladd's Addition Historic District tree planting guide.

In 1995 a group of neighbors (Dave Audet, Ed Blackburn, Tom Briggs, Robin Corrigan Toby Deming and Richard Ross) got together and established Portland's first community elm injection project, SAVE OUR ELMS. It's goal was to protect 300 American elm street trees in the Ladd's Addition Historic District against Dutch Elm Disease by establishing a three-year-cycle of injections to be administered by neighborhood volunteers. The organization was founded in partnership with Friends Of Ladd's Addition Gardens and the City of Portland Forestry Division.

What is Dutch Elm Disease?

Dutch Elm Disease (DED) is one of the most destructive plant diseases of the 20th century. Killing millions of trees throughout Europe and North America, it has caused billions of dollars of losses, both directly and indirectly. Furthermore DED has inestimably damaged the beauty of the urban landscape.

The origin of Dutch Elm Disease remains a enigma. Immediately after World War I, people in France and Belgium began to notice their European elms were dying by the thousands.

Dutch Elm Disease (DED) is now one of the most widely known plant diseases in the world. The causal fungus, Ophiostoma ulmi, was first isolated in Europe in 1920. The disease's first US foot hold was gained in Ohio in the 1930's. Today, seventy-five years later, the disease is still a threat to the American Elm populations across North America. Currently there is no cure for Dutch Elm Disease.

The fungus invades the vascular system of an elm (analogous to the veins of animals) and prohibits water movement in the tree. Without the vascular system carrying water and nutrients to the leaves branches begin to wilt and eventually the elm dies. While inside the tree, the fungus produces microscopic spores that play a role in spreading the disease.

How is DED spread?

There are three ways the DED fungus is spread:
The Elm Bark Beetle
		The Elm Bark Beetle (Latin name here) is the primary carrier for Dutch elm disease. This small insect breeds, feeds and overwinters in elm wood. In the course of their life cycle, they come in contact with the microscopic DED spores which stick to their backs. These spores can rub off later when the beetle moves on to a health elm.

Graft Roots

Dutch Elm disease is also spread through natural root grafts. Trees that grow close together will join at the roots, sharing nutrients and water. When and elm becomes infected, the fungus is able to travel from the diseased tree to the healthy on through these grafts. This method of contraction is very lethal since the disease arrives systemically and can begin affecting the entire tree immediately.

By Human Activity

DED can be spread by human carelessness, which is probably how the fungus first arrived in Oregon. The elm bark beetle can live in elm wood that is stored for firewood. When infested wood is transported, the beetles can emerge and infect nearby elms in new locations. This is why proper disposal of elm wood is an important factor in controlling the spread of DED

How Can I Help?

Look up at the elms when you're out for a walk. Focus on the tops of the elms to spot any sudden wilting of foliage when it should be green and healthy (especially noticeably in the spring and summer).

The sooner DED is diagnosed and properly dealt with, the less likely the disease will spread. The first symptom of DED is a sudden wilting or drooping of leaves, often in a single branch or limb of the tree. The wilting leaves are grey-green in color, but within days or weeks turn light brown. This browning of the leaves is called "flagging" and will usually start at the tips of the branches and work its way down the tree. Flagging will occur if the elm is infected in the early summer; but if the tree is infected in late summer, the leaves will prematurely turn yellow and fall off and then followed by smaller than normal leaves the next spring. The fungus will continue to move through out the tree's vascular system and will eventually kill the tree. The longer and infected tree is left standing the more likely it is that the disease will be transmitted to healthy trees. If you notice these symptoms, report the location of the Elm to your local forestry department as soon as possible. Within the city of Portland, Oregon contact the Urban Forestry Division at (503) 823-4489.

Do not prune your elms during the growing season. Elm Bark Beetles are more active during this time of year and are attracted to elms when they are pruned.
Do not stack/store any cuttings from elm trees not even as firewood. The Elm Bark Beetle just loves to breed in dead/diseased elm wood.
Do not transport elm wood to another locale. This is one way that DED gets spread from one location to another.
Remove those "volunteer" elms from your yard. We need Elm Volunteers, not volunteer elms. Don't save them for us. SAVE OUR ELMS cannot use them for the neighborhood plantings because they are not a disease resistant variety. When the seedlings grow large enough they too become susceptible to DED infection, turning them into a source for spreading the disease.

Become a SAVE OUR ELMS member, volunteer, or sponsor today.

How Do I Maintain An American Elm?

When to Prune Your Elm Tree

Destroy elm wood promptly by chipping, grinding, or de-barking and burning. Dead elm wood with attached bark is the prime breeding ground for the Elm Bark Beetle, the carrier of Dutch Elm Disease.
Never top street trees. This invites disease and decay.
Prune elms only between October 15 and March 31. Pruning during the growing season can attract Elm Bark Beetles. A City permit is required!
Contact the Urban Forestry Division at (503) 823-4489 for permits and advice. For more information on how to prune your trees ask for a copy of Guidelines for Mature Tree Care and Guidelines for Pruning Young Shade Trees.

Do I have and Elm? (Under Construction)

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What is the History of Ladd's Addition Street Trees and Parks?

For more information on the Parks of Ladd's Addition take a look at the pamphlet "Ladd's Addition: Historic Parks and Trees", provided in Adobe PDF format for you convenience.