Morfeo

HYBRID CULTIVAR

Heybroek ‘405’ (U. x hollandica x U. minor) x U. chenmoui

ORIGIN

Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante, Italy

DESCRIPTION

'Morfeo' is an attractive,  robust, fast-growing elm able to freestand at a very early age. The stem commences forking at between 1.5 and 2 m from the ground, the branches on juvenile trees with irregular patches of corky bark. The reddish branchlets bear mid– green elliptic leaves, < 120 mm (avg. 88 mm) long × < 80 mm (avg. 56 mm) broad with 10 mm petioles. The leaves closely resemble those of the field elm with typically asymmetric base and acuminate apex, turning crimson in October, before falling in early November. The sessile samarae ripen in mid-May and are narrowly obovate, 17–22 mm long × 9–13 mm broad with the seed offset next to the notched apex. In the UK the tree begins flowering in its fourth year, in mid-March. The tree was noted to start suckering from roots in Italy when aged about 5 years, but this has not been observed in the UK. Morfeo is a proven host of the White-letter Hairstreak.