Wych Elm Gift Tree

Description

Wych Elm – appears as ailm, the first letter in the Gaelic alphabet. This gift tree is grown from seed collected locally, nurtured to a young sapling in the isle of Eigg Tree Nursery. These trees are cell-grown saplings, ranging from approximately 20-60cm in height. Presented in a hessian bag protecting the roots in transit along with an information sheet with planting guidance, all enclosed and delivered in a postal tube.

Cell-grown trees can be planted all year round. Please be aware that if purchased in autumn/winter trees will be dormant and in spring/summer they will be actively growing.

If you would like to add a message to go along with your gift, you can do so on the checkout page.

To continue protecting bio-security, trees will only be sold within the UK, no international postage available.

Elm used to be associated with melancholy and death, perhaps because the trees can drop dead branches without warning(!) and was also used for coffins. There is an old Highland belief that an early fall of elm leaves foretells cattle disease the following year. The Scottish place name leamhain (Leven) means ‘place of the elms’. It can withstand water very well. so it has been popular in making boat hulls, bridges and wheels. Hollowed elm logs were once used as water pipes before the advent of metal water pipes. and 200 year old versions of theses can be seen in the Museum of Edinburgh.

Wych Elm is a hardy tree, will grow on almost any reasonably fertile and well drained mineral soil. It will stand moderate shade, at least in the early years, and on a good site can grow very vigorously. An elm can grow into a majestic shade tree or a windbreak for your garden. In early spring, the purplish-red flowers appear, before the leaves come out, bringing some lovely colour after winter. The elm tree is an excellent choice that combines beauty and functionality. A wych elm has all the potential to grow up 20-30 metres in height but will tolerate and be controlled by pruning.  Wych elm trees can live for up to 400 years.