English elm

Scientific name: Ulmus procera

Estimated tree age: 168 years old

Otherwise known as the field elm (Ulmus minor), the English elm was one of the most common varieties of elm in England prior to the spread of Dutch elm disease. Impacting elm trees globally, by 1989, nearly 75% of all elms in North America had been lost. English elms typically have suckers growing at the base of the trunk. Curiously, the tree only reproduces by its root suckers - its flowers are almost completely sterile.  It is mostly propagated by using either these root suckers or by using cuttings. The tree flowers are pollenated and become fruits called samsaras, which are then taken by the wind and able to travel great distances due to their shape.

Photo from Grandview Heights TreePlotter.

The bark of the tree is generally scaly, but the bark accompanying its root suckers can be more cork-like.

Photo credit: Max Coleman.

Photo from Woodland Trust.

The leaves of the English elm have an asymmetrical oval shape with teeth along the edges - this serration helps to distinguish the English elm from other elm varieties.