Trees until recently thought to be extinct in Great Britain are now successfully growing in the grounds of two royal residences, with the hope of reintroducing them nationwide.
Twenty-eight years after the last known Wentworth elm was previously thought to have died, three young Wentworth elm trees have been planted in the grounds of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, His Majesty The King’s official residence in Scotland, and on the Highgrove Estate in Gloucestershire.
The trees were grown from saplings after two mature Wentworth elms (Ulmus × hollandica 'Wentworthii Pendula') were discovered growing in the grounds at the Palace of Holyroodhouse during a tree survey in 2016. Cuttings were taken from the 30-metre (98ft) trees and were successfully propagated and grown on by multiple teams of horticulturists to increase the chances of the trees surviving.
One of the saplings, which was grown at the Historic Environment Scotland (HES) gardens nursery has now been planted in the grounds of the Palace, at the request of His Majesty The King, Patron of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). The sapling was a gift to Their Majesties The King and Queen in celebration of their Coronation in 2023 by the People of Scotland.
Two more young trees were successfully grown at the RBGE Nursery before being sent to The Savill Garden at Windsor Great Park, where they were grown on before being planted at Highgrove. It is now the intention of horticulturists at Highgrove Gardens to take cuttings from the young Wentworth elms trees and replant them back in the Windsor Estate, where they would become part of a large collection of ancient and veteran trees.
Scientists believe the Wentworth elm was most likely introduced to cultivation in Britain in the late 19th century, but it was thought to have been wiped out in the devastating Dutch elm disease epidemic which destroyed 75 million trees during the late 20th century. Dutch elm disease is an unfolding situation, and it continues to spread to areas that have so far been free of disease. The estimate of loss so far is as much as 100 million trees including two iconic wych elms (Ulmus glabra) in the Scottish Highlands: Britain’s oldest at Beauly Priory, and the largest, at Brahan near Inverness.
Dr Max Coleman, a tree expert at RBGE, explained: “Records in our archives show we had three Wentworth elms here in 1902, which we believe were gifted to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. We suspect that one of the trees succumbed to Dutch elm disease. However, it was a big surprise to find the two remaining specimens growing in plain sight in the Palace grounds. The next obvious step was to find out if horticulturists could propagate from them.’’
Stuart Lerette, Head Gardener for the Palace of Holyroodhouse at HES, who planted the sapling in the grounds of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, said: “It’s been a tremendous honour to be involved in the planting of this special sapling.
“The elm planted at Holyrood was grafted in March 2021 and planted in March 2024. This elm was splice grafted onto an elm seedling collected within the palace gardens. The scion material was a young shoot from the mature Wentworth elm situated in the North garden. We look forward to seeing this young tree flourish into the future.”
Highgrove Gardens are managed by His Majesty’s charity The King’s Foundation, and are open to the public between April and October every year. Melissa Simpson, Head of Horticulture for The King’s Foundation, said: “Highgrove Gardens has been a pioneering place for horticulture since His Majesty first established the organic gardens here in 1980. It is heartening to see how visitors to the gardens get inspiration from the flora and fauna they see during their tour.
“We are therefore delighted to be part of this exciting Wentworth elm project and hope they will continue to provide inspiration well into the future.”
Simon Milne MBE, Regius Keeper of RBGE, described the successful propagation of the Wentworth elms as a testament to the skill and dedication of conservation horticulturists at RBGE, Historic Environment Scotland and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Their innovative work provides hope for generations of trees to come.
He commented: “There was a lot of excitement surrounding the discovery of the Wentworth elms eight years ago. Now, from the only two surviving trees, progeny have been successfully grown and planted in the grounds of our Patron, His Majesty The King. Further cuttings will be taken with the aim to increase the number of Wentworth elms around the country. This is an encouraging example of effective collaboration between horticulture and science to address the threats to so many native species in the United Kingdom.”