Wingham Elm Trees

• Variety: Wingham, the big elm bred to resist Dutch elm disease
• Common name: Wingham elm
• Latin name: Ulmus 'Wingham'
• Type: Deciduous tree
• Mature height: About 30m (100ft)
• Spread: More than 8m
• Growth rate: Fast. Full height in 20 to 50 years
• Habit: Stately and upright
• Foliage: Oval, mid to dark green, golden yellow in autumn
• Soil: Any well-drained soil, chalk included
• Position: Full sun or partial shade
• Hardiness: H7, hardy anywhere in the UK
• Wildlife: On the RHS Plants for Pollinators list. Host tree of the White-letter Hairstreak butterfly
• Good for: Parkland, field corners, avenues, large gardens
• Container suitable: No. The pot is how it travels, not where it lives
• Similar varieties: Sapporo Autumn Gold (medium), 'Wredei' Golden Elm (small, yellow)
• Sold as: Pot-grown tree in a 12 litre pot
• Plant: Any month. Autumn to early spring planting needs the least watering
• Delivered: Year-round, whenever it is in stock. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Wingham is the elm for anyone who wants the big tree back: upright, fast, eventually about 30m (100ft) tall, and bred for resistance to Dutch elm disease.

Wingham Elm: The Big Elm, Bred to Stand Up to the Disease

Wingham is a stately, fast-growing, upright elm that reaches about 30m, with oval mid to dark green leaves that turn golden yellow in autumn. It has significant resistance to Dutch elm disease, which is what it was bred for. Small reddish-brown flowers come before the leaves, followed by brown winged seeds. It is rated H7 and grows in any well-drained soil, chalk included, in sun or partial shade.

This is a tree for a place, not a plot. Thirty metres is the height of the elms that stood in every hedgerow before the late 1960s, and Wingham is planted for the same reasons they were: a tall crown on a clean trunk, at the corner of a field, along a drive or at the far end of a large garden. Give it the space at the start. It takes 20 to 50 years to reach full height, which for a tree of this size is quick.

Your tree arrives pot-grown in a 12 litre pot, so any month will do for planting. Stake it on the day; our guide on how to plant a tree with a stake shows the method.

Bred in Florence, Proved in Kent

Wingham is a complex hybrid of four elm species, raised at the plant protection institute in Florence under the number FL493. It takes its name from the village of Wingham in Kent, where it was trialled from 2011 before its release in Britain in 2019. It is also an excellent host for the White-letter Hairstreak, a rare native butterfly whose caterpillars feed on nothing but elm. When the elms went, most of its habitat went with them. Every resistant elm planted puts some of it back.

Planting Companions

Wingham keeps company with the other big trees of the old field pattern, and you will find them among our trees for large gardens and parkland. Where speed matters, it sits with the fastest growing trees, and for a planting made with butterflies and birds in mind, see the wildlife trees. If 30m is more elm than you have room for, Sapporo Autumn Gold is the medium-sized one.

Why Ashridge?

Ashridge Nurseries was named Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025, on the votes of its customers. Your Wingham is pot-grown in peat-free compost, one of three in our range of elm trees. Delivered leafless between November and March, it is guaranteed for 12 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Wingham elm resistant to Dutch elm disease?

Wingham has significant resistance to Dutch elm disease, and was bred for exactly that. No elm is immune. Our article on Dutch elm disease explains the fungus and its beetle.

How big does a Wingham elm grow?

A Wingham elm grows to about 30m tall and more than 8m wide. It takes 20 to 50 years to get there, so plant it where a full-sized tree is welcome.

Which elm is the most resistant to Dutch elm disease?

Wingham: it has significant resistance, which is what it was bred for. Sapporo Autumn Gold is partially resistant, and the golden elm is said to be more resistant than many.

Is Wingham elm good for butterflies?

Yes. Wingham is an excellent host for the rare White-letter Hairstreak. The caterpillars feed only on elm, so every elm planted is habitat restored.

What soil does a Wingham elm need?

Wingham grows in any well-drained soil, chalk included, in full sun or partial shade. It does not thrive on poor soil, so mulch a hungry one each year.

Can I grow a Wingham elm in a small garden?

Wingham is too big for a small garden at about 30m. Choose the golden elm 'Wredei' instead, which stops at about 8m and keeps a narrow shape.