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