Ulmus americana (American Elm)

Plant Info
Also known as: White Elm
Genus:Ulmus
Family:Ulmaceae (Elm)
Life cycle:perennial woody
Origin:native
Habitat:part shade, sun; average to wet soil; floodplains, deciduous forest, swamps, fields, fencerows
Bloom season:March - May
Plant height:60 to 125 feet
Wetland Indicator Status:GP: FAC MW: FACW NCNE: FACW
MN county distribution (click map to enlarge):Minnesota county distribution map
National distribution (click map to enlarge):National distribution map

Pick an image for a larger view. See the glossary for icon descriptions.

Detailed Information

Flower: Flower shape: indistinct Cluster type: raceme

[photo of flowers] Dangling clusters of 5 to 15 flowers from lateral buds on 1-year-old branches, appearing before leaves emerge. Flowers have no petals, the light green to red, cone-shaped calyx is only about 1/8 inch wide with 6 to 9 irregular, papery lobes that wither quickly. In the center is a 2-parted, creamy white, feathery style and 6 to 9 erect, white stamens that are longer than the calyx, the stamen tips initially reddish turning purplish black. Flower stalks are hairless and ¼ to ¾ inch long.

Leaves and bark: Leaf attachment: alternate Leaf type: simple

[scan of leaves] Leaves are simple and alternate, somewhat variable in shape but generally oblong-elliptic, widest near or above the middle, 3 to 5¾ inches long, 1½ to 3½ inches wide, abruptly tapered to a sharply pointed tip, asymmetrical at the base, on a short, smooth to hairy stalk. Edges are coarsely double toothed, veins are straight and not forking at the tip. Upper surface is dark green and smooth to slightly rough; the lower surface is light green, hairless to softly hairy, typically with tufts of hairs in the vein axils.

[photo of hairy twig with flower and leaf buds] Young twigs are brown and hairy or smooth, the buds brown with pointed tips and reddish scales that are somewhat hairy, especially around the edges, with flower buds larger and more oval-elliptic. Older branches are hairless, the bark turning gray and may split into plates, with brown patches between.

[photo of mature trunk] Older bark has interlacing ridges and deep furrows. Trunks are up to 45 inches diameter at breast height.

Fruit: Fruit type: seed without plume

[photo of fruit] Fruit is a winged seed called a samara: flat, egg shaped, 1/3 to ½ inch long, surfaces hairless but with a dense fringe of short, white hairs around the edge, the tip often cleft with two hook-like lobes.

Notes:

Once upon a time, right here in Minnesota and not so long ago, American Elm was one of the most common trees in our southern hardwood forests, but also present in just about very corner of the state as well. It formed a beautiful large, vase shaped crown and it was easy to dig, transplant and grow. For those reasons our forefathers lined our city streets with tens of thousands of them and our streets were made shady, cool and beautiful. Many people born before 1960 may have some memories of those days, but soon after that, things changed quickly. Unfortunately, while some of our ancestors were concerned with providing a beautiful world to live in, others were more intent on making money.

Even though North America was still heavily forested at the time, in 1931 a Cleveland businessman figured he could make some good money by importing elm logs from Europe, so he did. Unfortunately those logs also brought in invasive European elm bark beetles and, more importantly, the highly invasive and destructive Dutch Elm Disease (DED). The first diagnosed Minnesota case was in St. Paul in 1961 and it was soon found at outstate locations, with evidence that once more, human movement of diseased wood was the cause. The rest is history with tens of thousands of forest and urban trees lost across the state, at great expense. Many communities lost nearly 100% of their boulevard trees. American elm is still with us today due to its prolific seed production and rapid growth that allows it to regenerate quickly and stay just a step ahead of the eventual loss of these younger trees. Its unlikely however it will ever play a significant role as a climax forest species that it once did.

There are two other native elms in Minnesota, both susceptible to DED and are now somewhat uncommon. Red Elm (Ulmus rubra) can be distinguished by its round, button-like flower clusters with stalkless flowers, seeds with short, soft hairs across its surface but not around the edges, leaves that are rough on both surfaces with veins that fork near their tips, especially on the upper half, and bark that is not strongly banded in cross section. Rock Elm (Ulmus thomasii) has looser, pendulous racemes, leaf bases that are nearly symmetrical, lacks tufts of hairs in leaf vein axils, and has very distinctive corky ridges on older twigs and branches.

Native Plant Nurseries, Restoration and Landscaping Services ↓

Map of native plant resources in the upper midwest

  • Shooting Star Native Seeds - Native Prairie Grass and Wildflower Seeds
  • Morning Sky Greenery - Native Prairie Plants
  • Natural Shore Technologies - Using science to improve land and water
  • Minnesota Native Landscapes - Your Ecological Problem Solvers
  • Spangle Creek Labs - Native orchids, lab propagated

More photos

Photos by K. Chayka taken in Ramsey County. Photos courtesy Peter M. Dziuk taken in Aitkin, Anoka and Kanabec counties.

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?

Posted by: Murph - Acorn Ridge, 55345
on: 2019-09-02 13:26:33

This appears to be what was thought of around here as a weed. Does it sprout up like a weed? I was cutting the stuff out of these bushes,and finally ran into one that was the size of a small tree. That's when I finally looked it up and found this page.

Posted by: K. Chayka
on: 2019-09-02 19:25:48

Murph, I'm not aware of American elm being weedy, but Siberian elm is for sure.

Posted by: Brady - Wright County
on: 2020-05-14 16:38:16

If anyone is interested in a DED resistant pure American Elm with a Minnesota twist, I suggest the St. Croix Elm. This DED resistant tree was found in Afton, MN from a 100+ year old tree. The U of M has done many DED tests on cloned St. Croix Elm seedlings and they all recovered from the disease. I have four of them and they are thriving well. They can however be hard to find in greenhouses. Bailey's Nurseries is the main cloner of the tree and several nurseries across the state sell the tree. If you google 'St Croix Elm' you will find many interesting stories and the history behind this DED resistant tree from Minnesota and it's a good read.

Posted by: Lauren - Hennepin County
on: 2020-06-08 06:54:28

Does anyone know if you can plant a perennial garden in proximity to an elm tree? I want to make sure the elm won't kill off the plants. Thanks.

Posted by: Andy - Minneapolis
on: 2023-05-27 11:18:44

There's a 20-odd-year-old American Elm growing in my yard. It's already a giant. There aren't any other elms around for several blocks, so hopefully it'll avoid DED--not sure if it's a DED-resistant strain. Carpenter ants, squirrels, and downy woodpeckers love this tree. To answer Lauren's question, yes, you can plant any shade-loving perennial under an elm, and it'll grow. A warning though: My yard's ground stays damp, so the elm's roots are close to the surface--and they don't like to be torn up for planting (could damage the tree, introduce DED, etc.). --Just FYI if your elm is on damp ground.

Posted by: CJ Weber - Bloomington
on: 2023-08-27 14:52:02

It appears that I have three volunteer elms in my yard. What should I do to keep them healthy?

Posted by: K Chayka
on: 2023-08-27 15:02:03

CJ, I suggest asking an arborist, or perhaps Ask a Master Gardener.

Post a comment

Note: All comments are moderated before posting to keep the spammers out. An email address is required, but will not be posted—it will only be used for information exchange between the 2 of us (if needed) and will never be given to a 3rd party without your express permission.

For info on subjects other than plant identification (gardening, invasive species control, edible plants, etc.), please check the links and invasive species pages for additional resources.



(required)




Note: Comments or information about plants outside of Minnesota and neighboring states may not be posted because I’d like to keep the focus of this web site centered on Minnesota. Thanks for your understanding.