Where Does Dutch elm disease come from?
The English name (Dutch elm disease or DED) leads people to assume that the disease comes from the Netherlands. This is incorrect since it is not a Dutch disease of elms, but a disease whose causal organism (Ophiostona novo-ulmi) was discovered by a female Dutch scientist (Ms. Christine Buisman) in the 1920’s. The fungus is probably Himalayan in origin, but there have been many ‘migratory’ epidemics in Europe and North America. The disease is not selective, which means that many types of elm (such as American and English elms) are vulnerable. Over the past few decades, the fungus (Ophiostoma novo-ulmi) has mutated several times and in its current form is considered to be more aggressive than the original strain.
