Ulmus Species, American Elm, White Elm

These grow wild here in western Arkansas, but larger ones are rare due to the Dutch Elm disease. The University of Arkansas @ Fort SMith...Read More has an ENORMOUS one in the lawn along Grand Avenue.

I have two mature & lovely elm trees in my backyard (corner lot). My neighbor also decided to harbor one that was growing on the fence li...Read Morene, so now I have a third hanging over my yard, and my power lines. If I had known then what I know now, I would have snuck out and cut that little tree down first chance I got! These trees are lovely, but they are spindly & "sticky". The yard, the drive, the road, my flowerbeds and everything else are constantly covered with little twigs & leafy sticks. I'm able to mulch them with my mower, but the ones in the flower beds are a nusiance. Also, the branches don't seem to be that sturdy. Over the last ten years I have had 3 large branches break off & fall during storms. I fear it's only a matter of time until my neighbor's fenceline tree takes out my phone & electricity! And now they are dropping these big, fat drops of sap on everything. There were droplets all over my car, but I figured out it wasn't water when I got onto the highway & they didn't move! I don't remember them doing this sap thing before. There has always been some, but not to this degree. The only theory I can think of is that during the recent mega-hailstorm when a million elm sticks fell into the yard, each of the little "wounds" started oozing sap. Don't get me wrong however, these trees have been wonderful and add a lot to the value of the house. It's only been in the past couple years since I've started using my backyard a lot more that I've mostly noticed these problems. I don't think I would have chosen them for a small lot based on my experience, but I love those trees, they are beautiful & I guess they are worth the troubles.

The American elm was a favoured street tree for many years. They are relatively fast growing, thrive in a wide range of soils, tolerate s...Read Moreoil compaction, root disturbance, drought and extreme winter cold. Their high-headed, vase-shaped structure creates a green canopy high above with few lower branches to obstruct buildings and vehicles on the ground. When planted on either side of a street, they form graceful gothic arches at maturity.

The 1930s saw the arrival Dutch Elm disease (DED), a fungus that is carried by the elm bark beetle, in the eastern U.S. Millions of trees were killed, leaving some cities with almost no elms remaining. The disease has moved across North America, and decimated both urban and wild populations of elms. By the 1990s it reached Saskatchewan, the northern and western limit of its native range. Prevention measures such as the immediate removal of diseased trees, and bans on the transportation of elm wood, have slowed the progression of DED.

Several hybrid elms have been developed that are more resistant to DED. "Liberty" and "Valley Forge" are two hybrids that show promising results. Another variety called "Princeton" is a true elm instead of a hybrid. It appears to have a naturally high resistance to DED.

When we cleared the jungle on our place we discovered a number of American Elm trees. These are very graceful trees. When I was young i...Read Moret was the most common tree along the creeks. We have about a hundred scattered over the place. Several are in the 50 foot range. Very handsome leaves. Rich looking .

Trois

American Elm is a large, fast growing deciduous tree with a broad vase shape. It grows to over 75 feet. Has tiny red flowers in early sp...Read Morering that are followed by winged green fruit in late spring.The leaves are medium green,turning yellow in the fall.