On Thursday 24th April 2025 OPT volunteers helped Town of Perth employees plant six elm tree saplings in Stewart Park that had been purchased by the Town from the University of Guelph which had been collecting elm tree twigs (and/or seeds?) cut from Dutch Elm Disease (DED) resistant mature elms growing all around Ontario. One of those mature elms (about 150 years old)  is Perth's very own "Grand Old Lady Elm" still thriving on Mill Street by the children's playground! 

After planting in Stewart Park the same crew moved over to Last Duel Park to plant five elm saplings purchased from UofG from a donation made to OPT for this purpose. Unfortunately one of the Stewart Park elms soon died but please see the photos below to see how elm trees are returning to Perth and may even be returning  home to their mother elm on Mill Street by the children's playground.

As you can see, from photos above, some of the saplings that were planted seemed to have their trunks quite bent over. Questions were asked of the University of Guelph, which had supplied the Dutch Elm Disease resistant saplings, whether these saplings should be staked to bring them back into an upright growth. Please click on the button below if you wish to see the questions and answers.

By the way, the magnificent elm tree located near the White House Inn on Wilson Street (near the Big Ben statue) could be a male tree as no seeds could be found underneath during the  following spring. 

The continuing story of the elm tree recovery program

The University of Guelph continues its elm recovery program and we, at OPT, hope to work with them to continue to bring elm trees back to Perth. As the above shows, OPT worked with the Town of Perth to plant six elm saplings in Stewart Park and five in Last Duel Park. OPT has since received some generous donations from tree lovers and we would like your input as to whether we should use some, or all, of this donated money to purchase more elm tree saplings from the University of Guelph?

To help guide you in this ongoing effort to bring elm trees back into the urban forest please read and/or watch the following:

"Celebrating 25 years of the Elm Recovery Project's work to identify, test, and propagate genetically diverse Dutch Elm Disease–resistant White Elm."

You can read the Website and Watch the documentary film by clicking on the button below: Incidentally, between 11:25 and 11:34 minutes of the documentary our Grand Old Lady Elm on Mill Street is featured as one of the contributors to the recovery project.

Please provide us with your thoughts by clicking on the Contact Us button below and filling in the form. OPT thanks you for your support and the trees thank you for your love of trees.