American Elm

Scientific Name: Ulmus americana
Synonym: Ulmus floridana
Family: Ulmaceae

Recommended Temperature Zone:
Sunset®: 1-11,14-21
USDA: 3-10

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Origin: Eastern North America from Newfoundland to Florida

Growth Habits: Deciduous large tree, fast growing to 100 feet tall (30 m), over 100 feet in spread; pubescent stems; ridged bark with a criss cross pattern; double-toothed green leaves, with asymetrical base, 2 to 6 inches long (5-15 cm), 1 to 3 inches wide (2.5-7.5 cm), paler, downy underside

Flowers: Red flowers

Watering Needs: Regular water, tolerates wet soils, tolerates salty soils

Propagation: Seeds, cuttings

Propagation: Cutting or occasionally seed

• by semi-hardwood stem tip cuttings, in summer. Apply IBA TALC 3000 PPM. Use intermittent mist. Root in 8-12 weeks.
• by seeds, in spring. Germinates at 70-85 degrees F. The seeds can also be harvested in spring. The seeds need stratify 40F 2-3mo.. The usual germination temperature is 70-85 degrees F.

Ulmus americana, Robert H. Mohlenbrock. USDA SCS. 1991. Southern wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. South National Technical Center, Fort Worth, TX.

The Dutch elm disease, a fungus introduced from Europe around 1930 has destroyed a large percentage of the American trees that had no resistance to it. There are several cultivars that have shown some resistance, like 'Valley Forge', an introduction of the U.S. National Arboretum .

Blooming Habits:
Green inconspicuous flowers, in clusters of fascicles, in late winter or early spring, appearing before the leaves

Fruiting Habits:
Rounded samaras, a nutlet surrounded by a circular wing, 0.36 to 0.5 inch across (9-12 mm), deeply notched at its apex, ripening in late spring