Tree Description
American elms are large trees growing to 90 feet tall with a trunk 3 feet in diameter. They have a buttressed base and upright branches that form a spreading, vase-shaped crown.
Range / Site Description
These trees are found across a vast area of the eastern U.S. into East and Central Texas. They grow naturally on well-drained soils along streams and rivers. They are also commonly planted as shade trees.
Leaf
The leaves are simple, alternate, about 4″ to 6” long and 2″ to 3” wide. Their shape is oval or ovate, lopsided at the base, the tip drawn to a point, and double-toothed along the margin. The leaf surface can be either smooth or rough above and pubescent or smooth below with raised veins.
Flower & Fruit
The flowers appear before the leaves in the early spring as small, greenish clusters on slender stalks in the axils of the leaves. Their fruit is an oval “samara” (winged fruit) with the seed portion in the center surrounded entirely by a wing with a fuzzy edge, ripening in the spring.
Interesting Facts
This species was the most common street tree in America at the beginning of the 20th Century before it was almost wiped out by Dutch Elm Disease.
Species Summary
| Scientific Name: | Ulmus americana |
| Secondary Names: | White Elm |
| Tree Type: | Deciduous |
| Dimensions: | Height: 90 feet Trunk Diameter: 3 feet |
| Leaf Structure: | Simple, alternate |
| Leaf Size: | 4-6 inches long and 2-3 inches wide |
| Leaf Shape: | Oval or ovate |
| Leaf Margin: | Double-toothed |
| Additional Information: | iNaturalist – American Elm |
Source: Texas A&M Forest Service Trees of Texas – American Elm