London’s Royal elms toppling

Press, 11 May 1979, Page 17

London’s Royal elms toppling

From KEN COATES in London The many glories of London include its Royal parks, but what is happening to the grand old elms is enough to make a tree lover weep. More than 10,000 of the fine old trees have been felled recently, and by the end of the year the Royal parks will have lost 11,421 trees — victims of the virulent Dutch elm disease. There are other victims as well. Many thousands of Wild birds have lost their traditional nesting places, which also provide their food. “The full effect of the changes in bird population in London is considerable,” said the bailiff of the Royal parks (Mr R. J. Hare). Owls, woodpeckers, and tree creepers had lost their nesting sites. A breakdown of the toll caused by Dutch elm disease, park by park, shows that Hyde Park has lost 737 trees, Kensington Gardens, 353; St Jame’s and Green Park, 70; Regent’s Park, 701; Greenwich, 950; Hampton Court, 4600; and Richmond, 4000. Most of the dead wood has simply been burned.

The stricken elms are gradually being replaced, though not tree for tree, by oaks, limes, sweet chestnut, beech, alders, and maples from the Envir o n m e n t Department’s nurseries. However, many of these trees will take from 50 to 300 years to mature. Some elms will be planted, but never again

will so much emphasis be put on one species. Among the casualties of the disease are young trees planted after the last serious outbreak in the 1.9305. No scientific method of prevention exists, and it is widely accepted that the disease will strike again. Between the serious attacks Dutch elm disease has been present in a mild form, but trees have rarely been killed outright.