George W. & Laura Bush – Jefferson Elm

George and Laura Bush shovel dirt onto a tree at the White House. — Courtesy George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum / NARA

Ulmus americana ‘Jefferson’

October 2, 2006

President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush planted a Jefferson elm tree on the west side of the North Grounds center panel on October 2, 2006. The Jefferson elm was originally cultivated by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture for its extreme resistance to Dutch Elm Disease. The species is named to honor President Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) and this planting comes from the original tree located nearby on the National Mall.