The putative hybrid elm cultivar Ulmus × hollandica 'Dovaei', or Doué elm, was raised by the André Leroy nursery at Angers, France, as Ulmus dovaei (without species name) before 1868. The Baudriller nursery of Angers marketed it as Ulmus Dowei, "orme de Doué", suggesting a link with the royal nurseries at nearby Doué-la-Fontaine, which stocked elm.'La pépinière sur le bassin de Doué-la-Fontaine', lamagiedurosier.fr Kew Gardens and Clibrans' nursery determined it an Ulmus × hollandica, though Green considered it a form of wych.
Description Leroy described the tree as vigorous, well-shaped, large-leaved, and "proper for avenues". The Adams nursery of Springfield, Massachusetts, reported that the leaves were "golden at first, but changing to a deep green".Adams nursery, Springfield, Massachusetts, 1895 cat., p.29 The Gaujard-Rome nursery of Châteauroux, France, described Orme Dovei as dark-green all summer.Pépinières Gaujard-Rome et Cie, Châteauroux, 1930, p.88 Kelsey's nursery of New York noted that it held its leaves late.Kelsey, Frederick W., Choice hardy trees and plants, cat. 28, N.Y., 1892, p.17Kelsey, Frederick W., Choice Trees, cat. 55, N.Y. 1906, p.20 The Mount Hope Nursery (also known as Ellwanger and Barry) of Rochester, New York, described 'Dovaei' as "a very erect, rapidly growing sort, with smooth bark and dark green leaves".Ellwanger & Barry, Mount Hope Nurseries, Rochester, 1898 catalogue; p.61 Sheet labelled U. montana With. 'Dovaei'; Sheet originally labelled U. montana With. 'Dovaei'; Sheet originally labelled U. montana With. 'Dovaei'
The Herbarium of the Arnold Arboretum holds a leaf-spray and samara specimen (1936) of an Ulmus glabra 'Dovaei' (spelled 'Davaei') sourced from the Ellwanger & Barry nursery.Photograph of 'Dovaei' specimen, sweetgum.nybg.org The leaves shown in this spray have petioles longer than the wych type (which are shorter than 5 mmColeman, M (ed.). (2009). Wych Elm. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. ) while the samarae are intermediate, confirming that the source tree, whether 'Dovaei' or not, was hybrid.
Cultivation 'Dovaei' is not known to remain in cultivation. It was distributed by the Späth nursery of Berlin from the late 19th century, first as U. scabra Dovaei Hort. (1890),L., Catalogue 79 (1890-91; Berlin), p.115 then as U. montana Dovaei (1892), Späth using U. montana both for wych cultivars and for some Ulmus × hollandica hybrid cultivars.Späth, L., Catalogue 89 (1892-93; Berlin), p.116 The latter name was preferred at Kew Gardens, where there was a specimen,Hand-list of trees and shrubs, excluding Coniferae, grown in Arboretum Kew Gardens (London, 1902), p.621 and by Clibrans' of Altrincham, Cheshire, who described it in their early 20th-century catalogues as "an upright, vigorous-growing variety with large leaves".Clibrans, Ltd. (1909). Ornamental Trees Shrubs & Climbers. Season: 1909-10. Altrincham, Cheshire, UK: . p. 29
The tree was planted at the Dominion Arboretum, Ottawa, Canada in 1893 as U. montana Dovaei (syn. U. campestris Dovaei). Central Experimental Farm, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada It was introduced to the US in the 1870s, the Mount Hope Nursery of Rochester, New York, and (later) Kelsey's of New York, listing it as Ulmus 'Dovaei'.'Descriptive Catalogue of Ornamental Trees & Shrubs', no.2, Mount Hope Nursery, Rochester, 1871; p.6 The Adams nursery of Springfield called it 'Dovei Elm', "a handsome new variety from France" (1895), and Klehms' of Arlington Heights, Illinois, 'Dove's large-leaf elm' (1913).Klehms' Nurseries, Arlington Heights, Illinois, Price list 1913, p.24Klehms' Nurseries, Arlington Heights, Illinois, Price list 1923, p.5 It was planted as Ulmus Dovaei in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, in the early 20th century.Thirty-first Annual Report of the Board of Park Commissioners of San Francisco, San Francisco, 1902, p.78 The Rockmont nursery of Boulder, Colorado called it 'Dovey's Scotch Elm'.1910 catalogue, Rockmont Nursery, Boulder, Colorado, p.7
Introduced to Australia as U. montana Dovei, the tree was marketed in the early 20th century by the Gembrook or Nobelius Nursery near Melbourne (it was described as "a first-class novelty" in their 1918 catalogue)Gembrook or Nobelius Nursery, Melbourne, 1918 catalogue and by Searl's Garden Emporium in Sydney. It was planted along the Avenue of Honour in Ballarat in 1918.ballarat.com It is not known whether it survives there (avenue elms are listed only as " Ulmus sp."Ballarat Avenue of Honour map, honouringouranzacs.com.au) or elsewhere in Australia.
Putative specimen A young hybrid elm, sucker regrowth from an old Ulmus × hollandica, with hybrid samarae and alder-like leaves matching 'Dovaei' herbarium specimens, stands near the entrance to Lauriston Castle near Edinburgh (2024).Putative 'Dovaei' opposite 21 Cramond Rd South, near entrance to Lauriston Castle, Edinburgh - Google Maps, August 2020, access date: 18 June, 2024
Synonymy Ulmus Dowei: Baudriller Nursery, Angers, France. Cat. 43, p. 117, 1880. Ulmus glabra 'Dovaei': Arnold Arboretum, Boston, US. Ulmus montana 'Dovaei': Späth nursery, Berlin.Späth, L., Catalogue 89 (1892-93; Berlin), p.116 Ulmus scabra 'Dovaei': Späth nursery, Berlin. Hort. (1890)L., Catalogue 79 (1890-91; Berlin), p.115
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