American Elm

American Elm

Ulmus americana

Ulmaceae (Elm Family)

▲ ▼ mature tree

▲ young tree

▲ ▼ leaves

▲ bark (tan-gray, furrowed)

▲ grafted Weeping American Elm

Location on campus: (regular form) near southeast corner of Carrington Hall

Ulmus americana: American Elm

• leaves deciduous, alternate, simple, ovate with pointed tip, oblique base and doubly serrate margins; 3-6" long and 2 as wide; dark green and glabrous to rough above and glabrous beneath
• stems slender, round, reddish brown and pubescent early on becoming glabrous
• bark is dark gray with broad, intersecting ridges and deep furrows
• grows 60-80' tall in vase-shaped habit; width 2/3 to equal height
• fruit is a round samara
• prefers full sun and moist, fertile, well-drained soils, but tolerates most soil types
• most are dead or dying from Dutch Elm disease, but breeding work underway to restore tree to more widespread use again; once was most common street tree
• medium to fast growth rate
• native to Missouri