American Elm

Product: American Elm

Common Names:  Rock Elm, Common Elm, Soft elm, White Elm, Water Elm

Scientific Name:  Ulmus Americana

Type: Deciduous shade tree

Full Grown Size:  70 to 90 feet

Spread:  70 to 90 feet

Growth Rate:  Fast, Moderate

Soil condition: Moist, well-drained soil

Light Requirements:  Full sun

Tolerances:  Alkaline soil, clay soil, dry sites, road salt

USDA Zones: Hardiness Zones 3 through 9

American elm is a wide growing graceful shade tree with large leaves and yellow fall color. It will usually be wider than tall.  Flowers are small and green in the early spring. Fruit is a winged nut that ripens after the flowers which generally appear between February and April before the leaves emerge.  Bark is light to dark gray with long flattened ridges and scaly deep fissures on older tree trunks.  Leaves are simple, alternate and deciduous with yellow fall color. They are large, 4 to 6 inches in length, 2 to 3 inches wide with serrated edges. It is susceptible to Dutch elm disease, elm yellows, elm phloem necrosis, elm bark beetle, elm leaf beetles, elm leaf miner and verticillium wilt.