Shortly after earning his doctorate in plant pathology from Cornell in 1954, the internationally known phytopathologist, Francis W. Holmes began his career at UMass Amherst. Working in the Department of Plant Pathology (1954-1991) and later as Director of the Shade Tree Laboratories, Holmes became a leader in the study of Dutch elm disease, and he conducted important research on injury to trees from road salt and the relationship between salt injury and verticillium wilt disease.
Holmes retired from the University in 1991 and remained in Amherst until his death in 2007.
Botanical Name: Malus sylvestris
Francis W. Holmes Crabapple Trees