The Chinese elm cultivar Ulmus parvifolia 'Hallelujah' is one of three American introductions made circa 1992 that were selected for their cold hardiness (USA zone 4 tolerant). 'Hallelujah' is known to have withstood -37 °C (-35 °F) in Missouri. The tree was first listed by the Arborvillage Nursery, Holt, Missouri, in its 1993–1994 catalogue.
Description The tree is fast growing, to 30 ft. tall and broad in 20 years,Photographs of U. parvifolia 'Hallelujah' in Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois; Handbuch der Ulmengewächse (Handbook of the Elm Family); ulmen-handbuch.de ultimately to 50 ft. tall and 60 ft. wide. It is reputed to have very attractive foliage and bark. Todd P. West, 'Elms: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly'; North Dakota State University Department of Plant Sciences; November 2022 In young trees the bark is shaggy, "with many curling and peeling pieces that reveal a range of brown, cream, and green" beneath. "With age the exfoliation diminishes, exposing a camouflage-colored mottling of gray, cream, orange, brown, and green".Mark Dwyer, 'Ornamental Bark on Deciduous Trees in the Midwest', with photograph of 'Hallelujah' bark; finegardening.com The leaves are dark green and leathery.
Pests and diseases The species and its cultivars are highly resistant, but not immune, to Dutch elm disease, and unaffected by the elm leaf beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola.
Cultivation 'Hallelujah' is extremely rare in cultivation beyond North America.
Accessions North America Brenton Arboretum, Dallas Center, Iowa, US. No details available. Dawes Arboretum, Newark, Ohio, US. 1 tree, accession number 2006-0498.001.U. parvifolia 'Hallelujah', Dawes Arboretum Morton Arboretum, US. Acc. nos. , . Rotary Botanical Gardens, Janesville, Wisconsin, US.Mark Dwyer, 'Appreciate the bark', 1 February 2017; rotarybotanicalgardens.org No details available.
Europe Grange Farm Arboretum, Sutton St James, Spalding, Lincolnshire, UK. Acc. no. 1086.
References
External links http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/cultivars/ulmus_parvifolia.htm Ulmus parvifolia cultivar list.