THIS is a famous shade tree of New England, whose range, however, extends to the Rocky Mountains and southward to Texas. Within this vast area, it is generally common except in the high mountains. It reaches an average height of 60 to 70 feet and a diameter of 4 to 5 feet. The bark is dark gray, divided into irregular, flat-topped thick ridges, and is generally firm, though on old trees it tends to come off in flakes. An incision into the inner bark will show alternate layers of brown and white.
AMERICAN ELM
Twig, one-half natural size. Leaf, one-half natural size.
The leaves are alternate, simple, 4 to 6 inches long, rather thick, somewhat one-sided, doubly toothed on the margin, and generally smooth above and downy below. The leaf-veins are very pronounced and run in parallel lines from the mid-rib to leaf edge. The winter buds are pointed, brown, ovoid and smooth.
The flowers are small, perfect, greenish, on slender stalks sometimes an inch long, appearing before the leaves in the early spring. The fruit is a light green, oval shaped samara (winged fruit) with the seed portion in the center and surrounded entirely by a wing. This wing has a conspicuous notch at the end and is hairy on the margin, a mark distinctive of the species. The seed ripens in the spring and by its wing is widely disseminated by the wind.
The wood is heavy, hard, strong, tough and difficult to split. It is used for hubs of wheels, saddle trees, boats, ships, barrel hoops, and veneer for baskets and crates.
Because of its spreading fan-shaped form, graceful pendulous branches, and long life, the white elm justly holds its place as one of the most desirable shade trees.
The rock or cork elm, Ulmus thomasi Sarg., is found occasionally in northern Illinois. Its excurrent branches are very different from those of other elms. Its twigs often have corky ridges and the winter buds are somewhat hairy.
The winged elm, Ulmus alata Michx., a small tree, is found in the southern part of the State. The twigs have two thin corky wings.