Ulmus minor 'Goodyeri'

Ulmus minor
Goodyer Elm, Rockford, c. 1960
Cultivar	'Goodyeri'
Origin	Pennington, England

The Field Elm cultivar Ulmus minor 'Goodyeri', commonly known as 'Goodyer's Elm', was discovered by John Goodyer in 1624 at Pennington near the Hampshire coast between Lymington and Christchurch. No old specimens are known to survive, but the tree is perpetuated by numerous root suckers, notably in the lanes about the Alice Lisle public house in the New Forest hamlet of Rockford. The tree has suffered misidentification in the centuries since its discovery, firstly by Philip Miller in his 'Gardeners' Dictionary' of 1731, and later in the early 20th century by Augustine Henry and Marcus Woodward, who both confused the tree with Plot Elm, whose centre of distribution is in the East Midlands, some 200 miles away and of completely different appearance.

Ulmus minor 'Goodyeri' was formerly known as Ulmus stricta var. goodyeri Melville, and Ulmus minor subsp. angustifolia var. goodyeri Richens.

The tree is chiefly distinguished by its short bole and low, spreading branches, quite unlike any other British elm. In other respects, notably its small leaves <3 cm long by 1.5 cm wide, the tree is very similar to Cornish Elm Ulmus minor 'Stricta'.

Goodyer's Elm leaves and £1 coin

Goodyer's Elm samarae

Goodyer's Elm is very susceptible to Dutch elm disease.

The tree is not known to be in cultivation in the UK, with the exceptions of two specimens introduced to arboreta 2012–16 (see 'Accessions'), nor is it known to have been introduced to continental Europe, North America or Australasia.

A small but sexually mature tree survives near the Alice Lisle public house at Rockford, its trunk severely arched by its search for light.