This is an American Elm – once an iconic symbol of towns across our country. They began succumbing to Dutch Elm Disease in the 1930s and today few mature trees exist. This magnificent tree lives at the entry of Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. To the left below is a photo of the elm in summer.

Spirits of the American Elm

This tree lost a limb in a fierce storm in the 1990s and this area of his trunk has seen many guardians come forward to protect it – both nature spirits and the human arborists of the Gardens.

This tree is a powerful sentry and entry point to the elegant and noble spirit world of the American elm. It has many spirit beings who have manifested themselves on the physical plane as images that morph into each other and are inside each other…they are seeking to protect the tree, and entry into spirit, in every possible way.

This stately tree was once part of a long avenue of elms; all but this elm succumbed to the Dutch Elm Disease. It must have been a painful experience for this elm, as all his community disappeared one by one. The Dutch Elm Disease is a fungal disease spread by a beetle.

This is a tree to study, contemplate, identify with, sit with. It is dignity under stress, survival against all odds, love and compassion no matter the situation, and loyalty to friends and country.

The many spirits guarding this tree can be seen on either side of the portal/missing limb, a large Ent face that would make Tolkien proud in the portal itself, and the entirety forming another Ent face.

CLICK HERE to read about the images in this magnificent elm.