Chiswick House Garden Elms Poised to Blossom

Short-lived spectacle is a recommended highlight of spring

An elm tree in Chiswick House Gardens.. Picture: Sam Ford

March 12, 2025

One of the first signs of spring is an elm tree in blossom. Since Dutch Elm disease struck in the 1970s, the species is far less common than it used to be, but prime examples have survived in the gardens of Chiswick House.

Over the next few weeks, they will present a spectacle worth seeing as they become covered in the blowsy pale green red tinted blossom that makes it easy to spot this much-loved tree.

The Chiswick House elms feature in Great British Elms, a new book by lifelong elm champions David Shreeve MBE and Mark Seddon published by Kew Publishing, with photographs by Sam Ford.

As the Conservation Foundation’s co-founder and Director, David Shreeve’s love of elms goes back to 1979 when he became involved in planting disease resistant trees brought from the USA. He was told “Why bother? The elm has had it,” but he persisted and elm projects continue to be an important part of the work of The Conservation Foundation, which he set up with the late David Bellamy in 1982.

“Spring is the perfect time to spot an elm,” he explains. “We’re hoping once warmer weather and longer days come in March and April that people will look out for this year’s crop and send a picture to The Conservation Foundation with details of the tree’s location. It will be added to a dataset previously compiled by RBG Kew, with the support of Defra, to map existing elms in Britain.”

The view that the elm is gone from these shores forever is also robustly disputed by Dr Joan Webber OBE, one of the UK’s leading elm experts, who says in the book, “The elm hasn’t had it – there may be more alive now than ever before.” She is among a growing number of experts and enthusiasts, including His Majesty the King, who have refused to give up on the elm, many of whom are featured in the book.

Also included in the book from London is the famous Huntingdon elm in Marylebone High Street as well as those in Kew Gardens, Dulwich Picture Gallery, by Hampton Court Bridge, on Victoria Embankment and at Nine Elms itself.

Send your elm blossom pictures to elms@conservationfoundation.co.uk including the date seen and location/postcode if possible.

A copy of Great British Elms, which contains 250 colour photographs can be purchased here.