American Elm -

: Because cities had planted elms in monocultures, the trees' root systems had often grafted together underground. The fungus didn't just fly; it traveled through the very "handshakes" of the trees' roots.

The very thing that made the elm beloved—its ubiquity—became its downfall. In 1930, a shipment of logs from Europe arrived in Ohio carrying a stowaway: a fungus known as . The tragedy unfolded with clinical cruelty: american elm

By the 1930s, there were an estimated lining the streets and suburbs of the United States. They were more than just shade; they were historical witnesses. The Liberty Tree in Boston, a massive elm, served as a rallying point for patriots protesting British rule, while others like the Washington Elm became geographic and cultural signposts for a developing nation. The Shadow of the Beetle : Because cities had planted elms in monocultures,