Maine Tree Species Fact
Sheet 
Common
Name:
American
Elm (White Elm, Water Elm, Soft Elm or Florida Elm)
Botanical
Name:
Ulmus americana
Tree
Type: Deciduous
Physical
Description:
Growth
Habit:
American Elm is a medium to fast growing large and graceful tree. It is
found more often on rich bottomlands and moist soil along streams, but
sometimes grows on higher ground. The
bark is dark gray with broad, deep, intersecting ridges, or often scaly. The outer bark appears in cross sections and show layers of a
whitish-buff color alternating with thicker dark layers.
The stems are slender, smooth, reddish brown in color and not
mucilaginous when chewed. The
leave are alternate, 3-6 inches long, with coarsely doubly-toothed
margins and uneven bases. The
upper surface is dark green and somewhat rough.
Height:
American
Elm grows to a height of 60-70 feet and has an average trunk diameter of
2–4 feet.
Shape:
American
Elm has a vase-shaped form in which the trunk divides into several erect
limbs strongly arched above and terminating in numerous slender often
pendulous branchlets; it also can have an “oak form” with more
widely spreading, less arching branches; or have a narrow form with
branchlets clothing the entire trunk.
Fruit/Seed
Description/Dispersal Methods:
The flowers are perfect, greenish red, in fascicles of 3 or 4
and usually appear in the early spring.
They are not showy. The
fruit is greenish but may have a reddish tinge and is fringed with
hairs. It is a rounded,
notched disc-shaped samara about a half inch long.
It matures in May–June.
Range
Within Maine:
American Elm occurs throughout
the state. This species is
hardy is Zones 3 to 9.
Distinguishing
Features:
The trunk of the American Elm
often divides into numerous limbs, which form a vase-shape.
The twigs are zigzag; the inner bark has alternate layers of
brown and white and is not mucilaginous.
The leaves are slightly rough on the upper side.
Interesting
Features:
The wood is spiral and
coarse-grained, hard, heavy, strong, tough and hard to split.
It is used for flooring, railroad ties, hoops, farm lumber and
pulp.
Relationship
to Wildlife:
The flower buds, flowers and
fruit are eaten by gray squirrels.
Mice, squirrels, opossum ruffed grouse, Northern bobwhite and
Hungarian partridge also eat the seeds.
Landscape
Use:
At one time, this species was used
extensively as a street and large lawn tree. However, Dutch elm disease has now killed many of these
trees.
Common
Problems or Pests of the Tree in Maine:
Elms are subject to many pests and diseases.
Among them are Dutch elm disease, bacterial disease, cankers,
leaf curl, leaf spot, powdery mildew, Verticillium wilt, aphids, Japanese beetles, borers, mites and
scales.
References:
Forest Trees of Maine, Twelfth Edition.
Maine Forest Service/Department of Conservation. 1995.
Know
Your Trees. Cope, J.A. and Fred E. Winch, Jr. Cornell Cooperative Extension. 1992.
Manual
of Woody Landscape Plants, 5th Edition.
Dirr,
Michael A. Publishing L.L.C.
1998.
United States Dept. of Agriculture:
Silvics of North America
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/ulmus/americana.htm
The
Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trees.
More,
David and John White. Timber Press. 2002.
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