Elm, Siberian or Chinese
Ulmus pumila
Ulmaceae - Elm

Description

Leaves: Alternate; simple; elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate; 1" to 3" long, 1/3" to 1" wide; deciduous; singly serrate margin; acuminate to acute apex; usually nearly equal at base; dark green and glabrous above; glabrous or slightly hairy beneath; petiole very short.

Twigs/buds: Twigs slender; gray; glabrous or slightly hairy. No terminal bud; lateral buds spherical, bud scales tipped with long hairs.

Flowers/fruit: Monoecious. Fruit a samara; 1/2" long; round; wing as in other elms, wing margin deeply notched at tip; ripens in spring.

Bark: Gray; rough; with shallow furrows and long, flat ridges.

Wood: Little information published but similar to American elm.

General: Native to Siberia, China, and Korea. Intermediate shade tolerance. May be insect and/or disease prone, especially when stressed. Weak wood and/or branch structure. Rarely should be planted, though limited use in specific situations may be justified.

Landscape Use: Much planted throughout Utah in shelterbelts, yards, and just about anywhere else. Where it has not been planted it often seeds-in aggressively. Commonly, but incorrectly, called Chinese elm. Grows fast and is fairly tough, but has many undesirable features and shouldn't be planted in most cases. Weak wood, diseases, and insects all cause problems for this species. Zones 3-9.

Cultivars: 'Coolshade', 'Dropmore', 'Hamburg Hybrid', 'Improved Cascade', 'Lincoln', 'Mr. Buzz', 'Pendula'.

Characteristics

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