Tree species: Field elm (Ulmus carpinifolia)
Location: Stadtgarten, Passstraße
Trunk circumference: 2.90 meters
Trunk height: 25 meters
Age: around 140 years old
This elm is one of the few elms in the city of Aachen that was spared from the elm dieback of the 1970s. The drastic decline caused by disease in Central Europe represents an extreme loss in terms of population genetics.
In the past, elms were often planted as avenue and city trees, as they were not very sensitive to the polluted air of city centers. It can also live for up to 600 years. Field elms can reproduce by root suckering: Roots running just below the surface can form shoots that grow into new trees. The hard and therefore valuable wood of the elm is called 'elm elm'.
The flat nut fruit is surrounded by a membranous wing. In Greek mythology, the elm tree was dedicated to Hermes, the messenger of the gods, and it was said that the winged fruit accompanied the souls of those who were led by Hermes before the judge of the world.
