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To defend our elm friends, we must keep watch. Dutch elm disease (DED) often announces itself quietly, but if we are observant, we can see the early warnings and act before the beetle’s work spreads further. How to Identify an Elm. Guardians of the Elm. Saskatoon’s Ecological Emergency!

1. The First Signs

In summer—long before the normal autumnal turning—watch the upper branches of the tree. There you may see leaves that begin to wilt, curl, and yellow. Soon they shrivel to brown, as though autumn has crept in months too early.

Dutch Elm Disease; high in the upper branches, one section appears strikingly different: the leaves there are drooping, curled, and turning yellow to brown, as if autumn has arrived months too early. This isolated patch of withered foliage, known as “flagging,” is the classic early symptom of Dutch elm disease. The contrast between the healthy, vibrant green canopy and the out-of-season, browned cluster makes the warning sign clear.

2. The March of Decline

The withering does not remain in one branch. It spreads outward and downward in a relentless progression. Whole limbs may die back, leaving stark silhouettes where once was shade.

An elm tree once full of life now shows uneven patches of green and brown across its canopy. Several large limbs stretch outward but are bare, their skeletal branches stark against the sky. In other areas, clusters of leaves hang limp, yellowed, and curling, the infection visibly spreading from one branch to the next. The overall crown looks thinned and uneven, sunlight pouring through gaps where dense shade once prevailed. The tree’s decline is clear: healthy growth retreating while dead and dying limbs stand in mournful contrast. — Dutch Elm Disease; high in the upper branches, one section appears strikingly different: the leaves there are drooping, curled, and turning yellow to brown, as if autumn has arrived months too early. This isolated patch of withered foliage, known as “flagging,” is the classic early symptom of Dutch elm disease. The contrast between the healthy, vibrant green canopy and the out-of-season, browned cluster makes the warning sign clear.

3. Beneath the Bark

If you strip back a section of infected twig or branch i.e. in a dead tree, a dark brown streaking often appears in the sapwood, a sure sign of the fungus clogging the tree’s lifeblood. This discoloration is the scar of invasion. That being said, Do not cut elm wood yourself.

Dutch Elm Disease. A peeled section of elm bark reveals winding borer tunnels etched beneath the surface. Dark brown streaks stain the sapwood, the fungus spreading through the tree’s vessels. Tiny entrance holes dot the bark where beetles burrowed in to feed or breed, carrying the deadly spores that mark the elm’s decline.

Image Description (Dutch_elm_disease):
Close-up of an elm branch with bark removed, exposing the pale sapwood streaked with dark brown lines. These streaks, running lengthwise through the wood, are clear signs of Dutch elm disease fungus invading and clogging the tree’s vessels, leaving scars that mark the path of infection.

Courtesy of Frankie Fouganthin, CC BY 4.0 — Elm exposing the pale sapwood streaked with dark brown lines. These streaks, running lengthwise through the wood, are clear signs of Dutch elm disease fungus invading and clogging the tree’s vessels, leaving scars that mark the path of infection. Courtesy of Frankie Fouganthin, CC BY 4.0

4. The Final Stage

As the disease advances, the tree loses more branches, its crown thinning to emptiness. The roots starve, and though suckers may rise from the base, they too will wither in time. Without intervention, the tree will succumb—often within a single growing season.

Image Description (The Final Stage):
An elm tree stands bare and skeletal, its once full crown now reduced to sparse, lifeless branches. The canopy is thinned to emptiness, while small suckers rise weakly from the base, already beginning to wither. This stark silhouette marks the final stage of Dutch elm disease, as the tree succumbs within a single season.

Signs of Dutch Elm Disease by Jonathan Thacker, CC BY 2.0 — The Final Stage:
An elm tree stands bare and skeletal, its once full crown now reduced to sparse, lifeless branches. The canopy is thinned to emptiness, while small suckers rise weakly from the base, already beginning to wither. This stark silhouette marks the final stage of Dutch elm disease, as the tree succumbs within a single season. Signs of Dutch Elm Disease by Jonathan Thacker, CC BY 2.0

Why Vigilance Matters

DED is carried not only by beetles but also through root grafts—when the roots of two elms touch underground. Thus, one neglected tree can become the gateway to the death of many.

What To Do If You Suspect DED

Do not delay. Report any suspicious elm to the City of Saskatoon’s Urban Forestry branch at 306-975-2890 or upload a photo to their online form.
Make the call! City of Saskatoon Forestry know how to look for evidence of bark beetles in the afforestation areas.
Do not cut or store elm wood yourself. Improper handling only fuels the spread.
Let trained crews remove and dispose of infected trees at the landfill, where the cycle can be broken.

“A tree, like a friend, may sicken. But if we act swiftly and with care, we may yet preserve the living company of elms for our children.”

“The minimum for safety is one third of the total land area. I think what is happening to the elms must be alerting the whole country to the necessity of trees, of the need for more trees. The elm has the largest leaf surface of any tree in Britain. If you …. put the leaves together edge to edge, they would cover ten acres. So naturally, the first tree to suffer from air pollution was the elm and, of course, when an elm is suffering from fatigue it is subject to attack by disease: the elm bark beetle, the carrier of the elm fungus, comes along and the tree succumbs.

I look at it this way. If a person is living a normal life and not abusing themselves – not smoking too much, not eating too much, not drinking too much – but living normally and eating the right food – they will be fit and well. It is only when they start abusing themselves that they are prone to attack by disease. It is the same with trees.

The next tree to go (the next tree with the largest leaf surface after the elm) is probably the beech: after that the sycamore: and so on. Finally it will be Man’s turn. We forget that we owe our existence to the presence of trees and as far as forest cover goes, we have never been in such a vulnerable position as we are today. The only answer is to plant more trees – to plant for our lives.
Richard St. Barbe Baker answers the first question above” Richard St. Barbe Baker.

Addresses:

Part SE 23-36-6 – Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area – 241 Township Road 362-A

Part SE 23-36-6 – SW Off-Leash Recreation Area (Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area ) – 355 Township Road 362-A

S ½ 22-36-6 Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area (West of SW OLRA) – 467 Township Road 362-A

NE 21-36-6 “George Genereux” Afforestation Area – 133 Range Road 3063

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Web page: https://stbarbebaker.wordpress.com

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