1. The Accolade™ elm is a Chicagoland Grows® selection that demonstrates very good resistance to Dutch elm disease (DED), and elm leaf beetle

2. Cultivars may help to reestablish plants like the American Elm (Ulmus americana), pictured left, or American Chestnut (Castanea dentata), pictured right, that were nearly wiped out by Dutch Elm Disease and Chestnut Blight.

3. As parasites, Ascomycetes account for most of the animal and plant pathogens including Pneumocystis carinii, responsible for pneumonia of humans with compromised immune systems and Ophiostoma ulmi, the Dutch elm disease fungus that is responsible for the demise of elm trees in North America and Europe (Agrios, 1988)