Camperdown Elm – Planting in the South

Q: On a walk through Prospect Park in Brooklyn with my 8-year-old grandson, we found the Camperdown Elm. He is excited about the possibility of my planting one. Suggestions?

A: The Camperdown elm, Ulmus glabra ‘Camperdownii’, was discovered by a gardener for the Earl of Dundee in Scotland. It has a remarkable weeping habit and is certainly a distinctive tree. However, I think it would not be happy at all in the South. My bet is that our summer heat would be its demise. Why not try ‘Traveler’ redbud or a weeping flowering cherry if your young gardener likes that size and effect?

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