Shimmering light green leaves in summer, branches that spread fast and wide, and under the bark a durable, moisture-resistant timber fit for tool handles, firewood and basket-weaving: elm (Ulmus sp.) is a tree of big parks, forests and spacious gardens. Give it the space it demands and it becomes a real showstopper.
| Name | Ulmus sp., elm |
|---|---|
| Family | Ulmaceae |
| Type | tree |
| Height | 49 to 82 feet (15 to 25 m) |
| Exposure | sunny |
| Soil | any |
| Foliage | deciduous |
| Flowering | early spring |
Big parks, forests, and spacious gardens often feature this tree. Sadly, it’s not the best choice for small gardens, because it grows very large.
Plant your elm in fall. It helps roots get established before winter. Give it room; it quickly spreads its branches.
Pruning isn’t really needed, though in some regions of the world it’s a tree often used for pollarding. This is the practice of cutting branches back to the trunk, so you can use the branches for anything: tool handles, firewood, and in the case of elm, basket-weaving.
If you want to control its shape somewhat and give it some breathing room, it’s best to prune right after it drops its leaves.
Beyond the field, mountain and American white elms, nurseries now offer selected cultivars and hybrids chosen for size, shape and tolerance of Dutch elm disease. The table below sets out the ones a gardener is most likely to find on sale.
| Variety | Mature height | Habit | Dutch elm disease resistance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Sapporo Autumn Gold’ | 40-50 ft (12-15 m) | Vase-shaped, yellow autumn colour | High |
| ‘Princeton’ | 50-70 ft (15-20 m) | Vase-shaped, classic American elm outline | High |
| Camperdown elm (‘Camperdownii’) | 15-25 ft (5-8 m) | Grafted, strongly weeping dome | Low |
| ‘New Horizon’ | 40-50 ft (12-15 m) | Narrow, upright, good for avenues | High |
Elm stands out not just for its looks but also for its wood quality. Durable and moisture-resistant, it’s top-notch lumber material. Find a spot for it in your garden, or perhaps along roads and rivers.
With its shimmering light green leaves in summer, it’s quite the showstopper.
Here are the most popular varieties:
Elm lifespan:
Lifespan varies, but typically it’s around a century. Field elm can live for up to 500 years!
Elm often encounters a fungus named graphiose. It shortens the lifespan of the tree dramatically. New cultivars and hybrids are appearing, but their resistance is still not ascertained.
A common development, especially among pollarded trees, is the development of large cankers. When these are big enough, they have significant value for furniture-making since the wood pattern inside these is stunning. It’s caused both by the repeated pruning of suckers and an infection by a fungus, usually Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
A layer of mulch is highly recommended. It keeps pesky weeds at bay, retains moisture during summer, and shields roots from winter cold.
