American Elm, the June Tree of the Month, in front of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, with their monument sign to the right of the tree. (Background building is the YMCA of Rock River Valley) Photo by Christopher Reisetter
NLI’s Legacy Tree Program announces the June Tree of the month is the iconic American Elm, Ulmus americana, located in front of The Marlowe Center for Philanthropy, home of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL), 946 N. 2nd Street in Rockford. This historical and beautiful Elm is 66-feet tall, has 81-feet of crown spread, and a circumference of 145.2 inches.
The June Tree of the Month was nominated by Jennifer Smith, Engagement Director for the CFNIL. In the nomination form, Jennifer said, “The tree is in exceptional shape for its age, size, and proximity to a major roadway that has been widened (and widened…) over the years. Also, the property where it is located was in danger of conversion to a parking lot as recently as 2001. The tree fits well in the context of the Arts & Crafts home on the property and the wooded nature of the neighborhood across the street to the east. It is an enormous, beautiful tree whose crown spread covers a significant portion of the front half of this lot.”
Looking north on N. Second St. with the American Elm tree on the left. Photo by Christopher Reisetter
American Elm is an iconic tree to the eastern United States and adjacent Canada and is a common locally native tree. It was prized as the perfect street tree as it is easy to transplant, tolerant of disturbed soils, grows fast, was long-lived, and ultimately produces a high canopy for shade while allowing plenty of clearance beneath its canopy for landscaping, roadways and structures. Streets lined with American Elms across the country created tunnels of shade, lowering the summer temperature of communities and buffering the winter extremes while allowing winter’s warming sun in. Then disaster struck – a fungal disease known as Dutch elm disease (DED), was accidentally imported on logs of foreign elms that infected this native tree which had virtually no resistance. Within a few decades nearly all American Elms were killed – a lesson in planting a diversity of trees.
Young American elms are immune to the disease but once they reach about one-foot in diameter they become susceptible to the disease and are killed. Any large tree remaining is a local treasure and likely has resistance to the omnipresent disease if it is not routinely treated for the disease by certified arborists. This magnificent American Elm is one such survivor and a sight to behold with its classic vase shape of spreading limbs with branches that are pendant around the edge of its canopy. The tree was likely planted shortly after the home was built for Charles Lundberg in 1915. Images from the Rockford Chamber of Commerce’s 1917 book The presentation in pictorial form of the Story of Rockford shows the young tree.
Leaves of the American Elm tree. Photo by Christopher Reisetter
American Elms are also great for Nature – The tiny flowers open in late March and produce ripe seeds by May that are relished by songbirds: a favorite food of the American Goldfinch and Purple Finch and mammals like squirrels and chipmunks. Many species of insects call the tree home, creating a wealth of caterpillars refueling millions of northward migrating neotropical birds and which locally nesting songbirds feed their young. The sheer biomass of life these trees once produced and sustained is a topic not well researched or discussed and how the downfall of the species was an ecological disaster we have still not recovered from. The economic impact equally as tragic – the term city heat island not even a concept before the tree’s demise. Currently popular urban street trees don’t remotely provide the ecosystem services this tree once did.
Alan Branhagen, Executive Director of Natural Land Institute (NLI) said, “Any remaining American Elm this size or larger should be protected and we ask that if you know of an American Elm of 4-feet in diameter or larger, please nominate it as a legacy tree. We will certainly share locations with researchers studying DED resistance in American Elm and these trees can be used for breeding more disease resistant trees. Mature American Elms in Dahlquist Park and Deer Run Forest Preserve are on the list already.”
Staff of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. Jennifer Smith, 2nd from left, nominated this tree for NLI’s Legacy Tree Program.
Branhagen goes on to say, “It’s fitting that this magnificent American Elm still stands in front of our community’s organization that does so much good for the region. American Elm is as American as apple pie, most horticulturists would agree it is the most beautiful and magnificent of the world’s elms reaching heights over 100 feet tall with trunk diameters over 8-feet and formerly living for centuries. May this tree carry on for another century or more and provide inspiration to all that life can prevail through the toughest of times.”
Background and For More Information:
Natural Land Institute launched the Legacy Tree Program in January 2024. It includes recognition of one tree a month that may be the largest of its kind, or have historical or cultural significance. Anyone may nominate a tree on private or public land from NLI’s 12 county region. Other components of the program, a list of the 12 counties, the online nomination form, and the tree of the month since January 2024 can be found at: https://www.naturalland.org/nlis-legacy-tree-program-january/, call 815/964-6666 or email info@naturalland.org.
About the Natural Land Institute:
The Natural Land Institute, an accredited land trust, is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit land conservation organization based in Rockford, Illinois and has protected nearly 19,000 acres of natural land in I llinois since 1958. NLI’s mission is to create an enduring legacy of natural land in northern Illinois for people, plants and animals. For more information and to donate visit: www.NaturalLand.org or call 815/964-6666.
Historic photos
in 1917 the Rockford Chamber of Commerce published a book about the city with the purpose: “…the presentation in pictorial form of the Story of Rockford…” it includes pictures of “homes of Prominent Rockford Citizens”, including the Charles Lundberg home, which is the building CFNIL now inhabits. This picture shows the tree in question in front of the house, which was built in 1915. The tree was clearly planted along with a companion tree on either side of the driveway/lane leading from N Second Street to the back of the house.
A close up of the house and the 2 Am. Elm trees that line the driveway. One that still stands is the June 2025 Tree of the Month.
Picture of the front yard with the branches of the tree seen in upper left corner. This picture is from 2001 when CFNIL was renovating the house. Jane Marlowe, whose generosity allowed CFNIL to purchase the home and whose husband, Byron, is memorialized in the name of “The Marlowe Center for Philanthropy”, is pictured at left. The other person is Gloria Lundin, President of CFNIL at the time.
In 2005 extensive landscaping was completed, both for the benefit of CFNIL and in support of the city’s America In Bloom award nomination. The tree can be seen in the background.