St. Helena's Historic Elm Tunnel

01/29/2026

After last October's major elm removals in the historic tunnel, we are relieved to know that 40 new disease-resistant trees are being planted. These elms, all in 24-inch boxes, will be on the west side along the old stone wall at Beringer Vineyards. (Last May, 29 trees were planted). The arching tunnel may be a thing of the past, but we do appreciate that a new crop of elms will rise in their place, creating a new tradition for the next generations. Many thanks to the St Helena Beautification Foundation, the City of St. Helena, CA, Beringer Vineyards and to Caltrans HQ District 4 for cooperating to get this done.

The planting of 40 disease-resistant elm trees began Monday on the west side of St. Helena’s elm tunnel.

04/30/2025

It's a visionary project to delight later generations! St. Helenans should be proud!

Early disease-resistant elm tree replants in 2012 (west side) and this week in 2025 (east side by the Vine Trail path).

It's re-planting time, restoring St. Helena's landmark northern entry landscape -- the Historic Tunnel of Elms! And by planting sturdier 24-in box specimens (rather than 15-in boxes), the odds for survival and quick regrowth are better than ever this time! Thanks to the St Helena Beautification Foundation for helping fund this important upgrade.

MORE THANKS: St. Helena, CA, City of St. Helena, Beringer Vineyards, Congressman Mike Thompson, Napa Valley Vine Trail, and Caltrans HQ Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) + Caltrans Bay Area-District 4.

Check out our photos section to see replants going back to 2012!

Read more in Jesse Duarte's article in the St Helena Star.

https://napavalleyregister.com/star/news/st-helena-elm-tunnel-beautification-foundation-highway-29/article_db6f389b-9731-4a38-9006-caaba7ddbd44.html

04/17/2025

We see the City of St. Helena has posted an update -- with overhead pictures -- on the recent Caltrans work on the Elm Tunnel. So hard to see the old trees go, but wonderful to know 29 NEW disease-resistant elm varietals are getting their start for a next generation!

"In February Caltrans District 4 removed 24 diseased elm trees along the historic Beringer Winery Elm Tunnel in accordance with the 2021 Elm Tunnel Management Plan. Starting later this month the City of St. Helena will be planting 29 new more disease resistant trees to revitalize the Elm Tunnel for years to come."

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 4 will remove 24 elm trees along the historic Beringer Winery Elm Tunnel in February 2025 due to age and disease. This action follows the 2021 Elm Tunnel Management Plan and is based on inspections conducted in June 2023 in collaboratio...

02/01/2022

FYI folks: Later this month, week of Feb 22, time for winter maintenance on our historic Elm Tunnel! Expect traffic delays.

City of St Helena PRESS RELEASE | Elm Tunnel Tree Maintenance - Motorists to expect delays starting at 9:00 AM Tuesday, February 22, 2022

05/08/2021

Amazing resource! Want to know what's happened in St Helena's Historic Elm Tunnel since the historic 2011 agreement to both preserve and restore this landmark? And what does the future hold? Here is the 186-page(!) report from the horticultural consultants as presented to the City Council in January 2021.

Background and vision statement excepted below. The whole plan is on the City of St. Helena website.
https://sthelena.civicweb.net/document/47870/Annual%20Elm%20Tree%20Tunnel%20Update%20and%20Presentation%20.pdf?handle=277C01E75F37473897F68FE8DDC4DAB3

Beringer Elm Tunnel Management Plan HortScience | Bartlett Consulting, Nov 2020, presented to City Council January 2021.

BACKGROUND
In 1885 Beringer Brothers planted an alee of American elms (Ulmus Americana) in front of their winery, located just north of downtown St. Helena. The two rows of elms now create a tunnel of canopy over Highway 29, known as the St. Helena Historic Elm Tunnel (the Elm Tunnel). The Beringer Vineyards and Winery and local community want to perpetuate the Elm Tunnel experience for the community and visitors. The trees are recognized components of the Beringer Winery Historic District, and contribute to the National Historic Landmarks Program designation of the site.

At approximately 135 years of age, the original elms are reaching the end of their normal expected lifespan. Over the years, individual trees in the stand have died due to Dutch elm
disease (DED), creating gaps in the canopy. Some trees have failed, losing branches that fell onto the highway. Young elms include three generations of replacement trees planted by the City between 2011 and 2019.

The trees are growing on California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) property and located within the City of St. Helena. Maintenance responsibilities for pruning, disease management, tree removal and planting of new trees are shared by the State and City. This unique dynamic requires a partnership between the vested parties to develop and implement a strategic plan for preserving the functional and aesthetic beauty of the trees into the future.

The City of St. Helena requested that HortScience | Bartlett Consulting, Divisions of The F. A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company (H|BC) visually inspect the trees and prepare a Tree Risk
Assessment Report that described the risk associated with each tree and recommends risk abatement treatments. That report was completed in Nov. 2019 and included 144 trees, 88 of
which were mature and 56 of which were young. Based on the results of the 2019 risk assessment, we performed advanced inspections, including aerial and/or internal decay inspections of 27 trees and revised our management recommendations as appropriate based on those results, which were provided in the Updated Risk Assessment (Oct. 8, 2020).

Perpetuating the experience and benefits of the elm tunnel into the future requires thoughtful, strategic tree management that includes removal of old, dying trees and planting new ones to
replace them. To help guide management decisions, the City of St. Helena asked H|BC to prepare an Elm Tree Management Plan (ETMP). The purpose of the ETMP is to identify the goals, actions and priorities for tree management from ‘cradle to grave’ for the next 15 years. This document is a result of that effort.

A VISION FOR THE ELM TUNNEL
Through conversations with City staff, review of relevant documents, and comprehensive evaluation of the tree resource, H|BC developed a vision statement and near term and long term
goals to meet that vision.

VISION STATEMENT
The historic aesthetic, functional and experiential features of the elm tunnel that contribute to the Historic Landmark designation of the Beringer winery are sustained into the future for the benefit of the St. Helena community and visitors.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Elm Tunnel will be sustained into the future through adaptive management to foster tree health and structural stability, and by selective removal and replacement of declining and hazardous trees with DED resistant American elm tree varieties.
1. Sustain the integrity of the Elm Tunnel for future generations to experience.
a. Plan for the removal and replacement of individual trees as they reach the end of their lifespan.
b. Protect trees from injury by vehicles and avoidable wounding by maintenance activities.
2. Manage the trees to minimize risk of damage to people and property while preserving historic trees within the limits of their lifespan.
a. Identify, remove and replace highest-risk trees.
b. Visually Inspect trees annually and following storms to identify structural weaknesses and provide appropriate abatement treatments.
3. Foster tree health and structural stability to prolong life of individual trees to the
extent possible.
a. Identify reliable source(s) of DED-resistant replacement elms.
b. Purchase high quality, pest free trees.
c. Prepare planting sites and install new trees according to best management practices and industry standards.
d. Provide good quality irrigation water according to tree needs.
e. Prune young trees annually for first 5 to 10 years to develop strong structure that minimizes branch failure and need for large pruning cuts on mature trees.
f. Monitor trees for signs and symptoms of DED and other pests.
g. Provide adaptive management that responds to changes in pest pressure, environment, weather extremes, and tree age.
4. Engage with the community.
a. Engage with the St. Helena’s Elm Tunnel Army, the St. Helena Beautification Foundation and St. Helena’s Historic Elm Tunnel page.
b. Consider opportunities for the community to be involved in caring for the Elm Tunnel, such as elm tree planting events.
c. Consider creating a page on the City’s website about the Elm Tunnel plan and activities.
d. Consider providing open access to historic and current information about individual trees in the Elm Tunnel (similar to New York City).
e. Consider creating birth certificates for new trees and maintaining growth charts.
f. Consider allowing the public to send love letters to trees (similar to Melbourne).
g. Consider ways to utilize wood from removed trees in community projects, art installations and educational installations.

02/20/2021

Heads up--1st week of March, Hwy 29 through St. Helena's Historic Elm Tunnel will go to 1-lane as Caltrans crews will be preforming regular tree maintenance - including removing nine elm trees which are infected with tree rot and Dutch Elm Disease that have become a safety concern. Sad but necessary.

The start of something big...old and new side-by-side

St Helena's Historic Elm Tunnel replanting has begun, March 16, 2012.
Photo credit: Shannon Kuleto

11/15/2017

CALTRANS notification. Time for long-delayed maintenance begins Monday 11/27 on St. Helena's Historic Elm Tunnel and yes, sadly, 10 more diseased tree removals. Sigh. Will take approximately three weeks. The St Helena Beautification Foundation and other concerned citizens are making every effort to make sure the City of St. Helena and Caltrans follow thru on the 2012 replanting agreements, too!

(Shout out of appreciation to Carolyn Corley Burgess for the use of her beautiful fall photo of the Elms!)

CALTRANS
State Route 29-Tunnel of Elms in St. Helena

One-Way Traffic Controls
For Removal of Ten Dead or Dying Trees
Starts Monday, November 27, 2017

NAPA COUNTY— The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is scheduled to remove 10 dead and/or dying elm trees on State Route-29 (SR-29).

The trees are located within the Tunnel of Elms on SR-29 between Pratt Avenue and Deer Park Road in St. Helena. Caltrans, working with the City of St. Helena, has determined it is necessary to remove the dead and/or dying trees to ensure the safety of the traveling public.

The tree maintenance and removal is scheduled to occur during approximately three-weeks of work starting Monday, November 27, 2017 until Friday, December 15, 2017. Work will be scheduled starting at 8:30 AM until 2:30 PM each day Monday through Friday.

During the work, crews will also trim the remaining trees on SR-29. New trees are scheduled to be planted at a later date. All work is weather permitting.

One-Way Traffic Controls on SR-29
To ensure public and worker safety, one-way traffic controls will be in effect during the work on SR-29 between Pratt Avenue and Deer Park Road in St. Helena. Crews will alternate lane closures in both northbound and southbound directions. This will allow one traffic lane on SR-29 to remain open during the work. Flaggers will help direct traffic.

Motorists should expect delays and allow for extra travel time.

For 24/7 traffic updates, follow 511.org: https://twitter.com/511SFBAY
Click on Caltrans Quickmaps: http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/
Or follow on Twitter: https://twitter/com/CaltransD4

Caltrans thanks you for your patience as they work to maintain California’s highways.
Please

St Helena's historic elm tunnel, looking north on Napa Valley's famed Highway 29. Photo thanks and credit to carolyn burgess photography My Napa Valley Life {photography + food + lifestyle + wines + vines}

09/21/2017

Tuesday, September 19, it was sad to see Caltrans removing 3 big trees from the Elm Tunnel in the interest of driver safety/sight lines. Glad the St Helena Star got some photos and recounted the long tale here. Farewell, ye elms. 💔

"The removal of three healthy trees from St. Helena’s historic elm tunnel began on Tuesday, a move intended to improve sight lines for drivers leaving Beringer Vineyards.

Removing the trees will increase sight lines from 90 to 315 feet for drivers leaving Beringer, whose view of southbound traffic had been blocked by the trees.

The elm tunnel is a sensitive topic in St. Helena, and Beringer held an informational meeting in 2015 to announce that two trees north of the Beringer entrance would be removed because the location didn’t meet Caltrans safety standards."

The removal of three healthy trees from St. Helena’s historic elm tunnel began on Tuesday, a move intended to improve sight lines for drivers leaving Beringer Vineyards.

08/30/2016

Beautiful "Highway Scene From the Beringer Residence" from the 1920s or 30s. Thanks for sharing, St. Helena Historical Society!

Here is a 1920-30s view of our famous elm Tunnel, which is now threatened by Dutch Elm disease. New trees are resistant..