About

Ulmus americana, generally known as the American elm or, less commonly, as the white elm or water elm, is a species of elm native to eastern North America. The trees can live for several hundred years. It is a very hardy species that can withstand low winter temperatures. The American elm was once exceptionally common as a street tree, its tolerance of urban conditions making it a popular choice to line American streets in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The coming of beetles bearing Dutch elm disease devastated the American elm population, starting in the 1920s. The species still holds out in some locations, but is also no longer nearly as common as during its height.

The wood was seldom utilized until the advent of mechanical sawing, for its interlocking grain is difficult to split and tends to bind on saws. It is the state tree of Massachusetts and North Dakota.

How to grow it

In the 19th and early 20th century, American elm was a common street and park tree owing to its tolerance of urban conditions, rapid growth, and graceful form. This however led to extreme overplanting of the species, especially to form living archways over streets, which ultimately produced an unhealthy monoculture of elms that had no resistance to disease and pests. Elms do not naturally form pure stands and trees used in landscaping were grown from a handful of cultivars, causing extremely low genetic diversity. These trees' rapid growth and longevity, leading to great size within decades, made them popular before the advent of DED. Ohio botanist William B.

Where it grows

The American elm is native to eastern North America, occurring from Nova Scotia west to Alberta and Montana, and south to Florida and central Texas. It is an extremely hardy tree that can withstand winter temperatures as low as −40 °C (−40 °F).

Other Ulmus plants

Winged elm · Ulmus 'Androssowii' · Cedar elm · Wych Elm · European White Elm · Ulmus lanceifolia · Ulmus minor 'Plotii' · Chinese elm · Siberian elm · Slippery elm · Rock elm · Elm