Potentially good news for tree planting contractors. The elm tree, which was virtually wiped out in Britain 50 years ago, could return to the English countryside, according to a new report. More than 20 million of the trees were lost to Dutch Elm Disease in the 1960s and 1970s, but a small group of enthusiasts has since been breeding “elite” elms that can apparently withstand disease and, so says research by the Future Trees Trust (FTT), could help to repopulate the country. The FTT report says that in addition to the new resistant species being developed, there are at least four native species of elm that survived the disease. As the country’s premier tree planting contractor, we look forward to planting the new species in our towns and cities.