Ulmus: Country Or Region Of Origin
Eurasia to Indo-China, Africa, and N. America
Plant Profile: Ulmus
Taxonomy: UlmusNames
Elm
Phonetic Spelling:
Genus:Ulmus
Species:
Family:Ulmaceae
Elm trees are thought to have first appeared in Asia around 20 million years ago, eventually spreading across much of the Northern Hemisphere, including North America and Eurasia. Sadly, the Dutch Elm Disease has caused significant damage to these majestic trees in both North America and Europe. In response, new cultivars are being developed that show resistance to this disease.
These trees can grow quite large, typically featuring a vase-like shape with a rounded crown. They generally thrive in moist, well-drained soils.
Tags
#tree
#tsc
#deciduous tree
#tsc-t
#disease problems
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Ulmus Feature Summary
Attributes
Eurasia to Indo-China, Africa, and N. America
Woody
Seed
Stem Cutting
Fruit
Flat samaras come to a notched/ retuse apex. Some samaras have hair around them and are seen in the spring or summer. Generally, the ones without hairs are seen in the fall instead.
Samara
Green
Summer
Fall
Spring
Flowers
Inconspicuous small green flowers in spring.
Green
Insignificant
Spring
Leaves
The leaves are alternate, with simple, single or most commonly, doubly serrate margins, usually asymmetric at the base and acuminate at the apex. Non-showy fall color.
Broadleaf Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Green
Simple
Alternate
Oblong
Obovate
Serrate
Doubly Serrate
3-6 inches
1-3 inches
Bark
Bark gray, brown, or olive to reddish, tan, or orange, deeply furrowed, sometimes with plates (smooth when young)
Dark Gray
Light Gray
Dark Brown
Green
Light Brown
Orange
Red/Burgundy
Ridges
Exfoliating
Patchy
Stem
Stems brown and sometimes with corky wings. Twigs are glabrous to pubescent.
Brown/Copper
Zig Zags
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Tree
Broadleaf Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Arching
Rounded
Erect
Vase
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Moist
more than 60 feet
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
3a
3b
9a
9b
Landscape
Frequent Disease Problems
Ulmus Image Gallery
Ulmus Attributes
Ulmus: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Ulmus: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Ulmus Fruit
Ulmus: Fruit Description
Flat samaras come to a notched/ retuse apex. Some samaras have hair around them and are seen in the spring or summer. Generally, the ones without hairs are seen in the fall instead.
Ulmus: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Ulmus: Fruit Color
Green
Ulmus: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Ulmus Flowers
Ulmus: Flower Description
Inconspicuous small green flowers in spring.
Ulmus: Flower Color
Green
Ulmus: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Ulmus: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Ulmus Leaves
Ulmus: Leaf Description
The leaves are alternate, with simple, single or most commonly, doubly serrate margins, usually asymmetric at the base and acuminate at the apex. Non-showy fall color.
Ulmus: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Ulmus: Leaf Color
Green
Ulmus: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Ulmus: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Ulmus: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Ulmus: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Ulmus: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Ulmus: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Ulmus: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Ulmus Bark
Ulmus: Bark Description
Bark gray, brown, or olive to reddish, tan, or orange, deeply furrowed, sometimes with plates (smooth when young)
Ulmus: Bark Color
Dark Brown
Dark Gray
Green
Light Brown
Light Gray
Orange
Red/Burgundy
Ulmus: Surface/Attachment
Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy
Ulmus Stem
Ulmus: Stem Description
Stems brown and sometimes with corky wings. Twigs are glabrous to pubescent.
Ulmus: Stem Color
Brown/Copper
Ulmus: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Ulmus: Stem Form
Straight
Zig Zags
Ulmus Whole Plant Traits
Ulmus: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Ulmus: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Ulmus: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Ulmus Cultural Conditions
Ulmus: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Ulmus: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Ulmus: Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Ulmus: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Ulmus: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Ulmus Landscape
Ulmus: Problems
Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy
