Tree Talk: Return of the Elms

American elm is North Dakota's state tree. Elms were a natural choice for planting in communities and windbreaks because it is one of our tough native species. It is these tree canopies that, with their beautiful vase-shape, form leafy "tunnels" along elm-lined streets.

Then, the unthinkable happened: Dutch elm disease (DED) entered the U.S. in the 1920's and found its way to Mandan in 1969. It...