winged elm creating a major problem

Hi everyone,

This tree was ID'ed as a winged elm...ID thread.. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/753534/

I took down a couple of trees around the winged elm to make it a very happy tree.
The problem is that is now sooooo happy that it has started producing mass seedlings! I really mean thousands and thousands!!

I love the shape and look of the tree, thats why I picked that one to stay and the others to go.
I hate to say it, but the tree has got to go. It is throwing way to many babies to keep up with.
They blow all over the yard, they are growing in every crack and crevice of my property.
They are even in my garden that is on the other side of the house and over 600' away.

I would love a solution, but I would settle for the name of a similar shape tree.
A bonus would be a tree that wildlife would enjoy.
When I plant the new tree, I can put it about 16' off the house instead of the 12' that the winged elm is now.

The Elm is to the left of the garage, and just a bit higher.
Thanks for all suggestions.

chris

This message was edited May 20, 2009 7:54 AM

seedlings everywhere, even in between the leaves of growing Iris and other bulbs and perennials.

mass seedlings, and I have already turned them over twice.

Our Sugar Maple trees did that in '07; seedlings by the thousands all over the place. I used my hoe and chopped them off. Got rid of most of them. but I'm still finding some that survived in my flower beds 2 years later. I don't know what caused the trees to want to proliferate that year, but in the 18 years we've lived here it's never happened before. Maybe your Elm is doing the same thing and it's just a freaky year. I hate to see you chop down such a nice big tree. Elms are beautiful trees and there aren't so many left after the Dutch Elm disease outbreak. Yours must be a resistant variety. It's a lot of work getting rid of all the seedlings, but they come up easy with a hoe. Maybe use some RoundUp in the sidewalk cracks. Give the old girl a second chance before you chop it down.

My American and cedar elms do the same thing every year. They are such nice big trees that I won't get rid of them myself, but if they ever die of natural causes then I won't be replacing them with another elm....

Thanks for the thoughts. I would love to keep the tree, if only I could feed it something to make it sterile. LOL.

The seedlings in the driveway and sidewalk cracks are not a concern. All the seedlings pull out very easy right now. All I do is move the mulch roughly and they are up. Its the ones under the bushes and in between the leaves of other plants that really bug me.

I am going to keep looking for something to take her place, but I might wait another year to see if this was a freak thing.

I think waiting might be the best idea. If it continues to be this prolific it's probably going to be affecting your neighbors too. You might take up a collection for removal and replacement costs. LOL! I had a silver maple growing from the neighbors over my back yard and pond that was just wretched with producing maple seedlings. She was about to sell and move and I asked her if I could pay a professional to cut the tree down since it wasn't any great addition to her landscape and might improve it's marketablity. She agreed. I celebrate silver maple freedom day every spring! I also keep a real close watch along the fence line for any other junk trees to get a foothold. Reaching over the fence with a little yank now sure beats a 40' monstrosity sending masses of maple samaras flying through the air.

My neighbor's elm does the same thing to me every year - most of the seedlings are easily pulled, some die just from me stomping on them, a few that get taller meet the weed-whacker (though I'm careful with that, a piece of flying mulch to my shin hurts like few other things). I have several silver maples that I want to take down....I keep saying "next year." Now hubby wants to go back to school for a PhD, so I think I will just need to live with the fact that I'll be removing seedlings for another half dozen years. There is nothing I can do about the neighbor's elm, that neighbor is already a terrible steward of his land.

Well, my goal now is to find a similar shaped replacement tree.
Mass propogation seems to be a trait of elms and maples, elms being the worse one.
I have gone back and forth about removing or not, but I cant see letting it get any bigger if its going to go. Right now, we can take her down ourselves.

Thanks for all the input everyone, and if any of you have a favorite tree that would fit there, please let me know. I am going to spend hours searching plantfiles and such for the perfect tree, but personal knowledge always carries more weight.

chris

Tilia cordata 'Little Leaf Linden' has a similar shape. It's a very attractive, rugged tree with a reasonable growth rate.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/58210/
http://www.arborday.org/treeguide/treeDetail.cfm?id=119

my yard is covered with seeds right now :( i have chinese elms-2.mine are probaly 50-70 feet they are outa here when ever i can save enough to have cut !already got rid of the 4 silver maples the 1st month we moved in.