Chinese Elm
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 Chinese Elm leaves, summer
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| Ulmus parvifolia Jacq. |
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Microptelea parvifolia Spach Planera parvifolia Sweet Ulmus campestris var. chinensis Loudon Ulmus chinensis Persoon Ulmus parvifolia Maxim., Franch. et Savatier, Forbes & Hemsl., Shirasawa Ulmus virgata Roxburgh |
The Chinese Elm Ulmus parvifolia Jacq. is a species of elm native to China, Japan, North Korea and Vietnam. It is a small to medium-sized deciduous, semi-deciduous (rarely semi-evergreen) tree growing to 10-18 m tall with a slender trunk and crown. The leathery, lustrous green single-toothed leaves are small, 2-5 cm long by 1-3 cm broad, and often retained as late as December or even January in Europe and North America. The flowers are produced in early autumn, small and inconspicuous, with the seed maturing rapidly and dispersing by late autumn. The trunk has a handsome, flaking bark of mottled greys with tans and reds, giving rise to its other common name, the Lacebark Elm, although sarring from major branch loss can lead to large canker-like wounds.
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[edit] Cultivation and uses
The tree is arguably the most ubiquitous of the elms, now found in all the continents except South America. It was introduced to Europe at the end of the 18th century as an ornamental, and is found in many botanical gardens and arboreta. In the United States, it appeared in the middle of the 19th century, and has proved very popular in recent years as a replacement for American Elms killed by Dutch elm disease. The Chinese Elm is a tough landscape tree, hardy enough for use in harsh planting situations such as parking lots, in small planters along streets and in plazas or patios. In New Zealand, it was found to be particularly suitable for windswept locations along the coast. However, the tree can become invasive, notably in southern Africa, and is known as one of the 'Nasty Nine' in Namibia, where it was widely planted as a street tree in cities such as Windhoek. Chinese Elms are frequently used in Bonsai; they are considered a good choice for beginners owing to their high tolerance of pruning.
[edit] Cultivars
Numerous cultivars have been selected, mostly in North America:
- A. Ross Central Park (Central Park Splendor™), Bosque, Burgundy, Catlin, Chessins, Cork Bark, D.B.Cole, Drake, Dwarf Weeper, Dynasty, Ed Wood, Elsmo, Emer I or Emerald Isle (Athena™), Emer II or Emerald Vase (Allee™), Frosty, Garden City Clone, Geisha, Glory, Golden Rey, Hallelujah, Hokkaido, Jade Empress, Littleleaf, Matthew, Milliken, Nire-keyaki, Ohio, Orange Ribbon, Pathfinder, Pendens, Prairie Shade, Red Fall, Seiju, Select 380, Sempervirens, State Fair, Stone's Dwarf, The Thinker, Todd, True Green, Ware's, Yatsubusa, Zettler (Heritage™).
[edit] Hybrid cultivars
Being an autumn flowering species, crosses with others flowering in spring have been very few:
[edit] Arboreta etc. accessions
[edit] North America
- Arnold Arboretum, acc. nos. 1353-73, 17917, 195-90, 197-90.
- Bartlett Tree Experts, acc. nos. 5546, 8109.
- Brenton Arboretum, Dallas Center, Iowa. No details available.
- Holden Arboretum, acc. nos. 57-1241, 80-665, 84-1214, 90-323.
- Longwood Gardens, acc. nos. 1957-1058, 1959-1500, 1960-1138, 1991-0981.
- Morton Arboretum, acc. nos. 991-27, 772-54, 1231-57, 558-83, 52-96.
- New York Botanical Garden, acc. nos. 195/56, 486/91, 68072.
- Phipps Conservatory and Botanic Gardens, acc. no. 99/0542
- Scott Arboretum, acc. nos. 83-006, 83-058, 91-050, 2001-212UN.
- Smith College, acc. no. 42894.
[edit] Europe
- Brighton & Hove City Council, UK, NCCPG Elm Collection [1].
- Hortus Botanicus Nationalis, Salaspils, Latvia acc. nos. 18150, 18151.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, acc. nos. 1979-1613, 1979-1614, 1982-8479, 1982-8505, 1982-6280, 1982-6284, 2002-137, 2003-1267, 2005-1076.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Wakehurst Place, acc. nos. 1969-33664, 1969-35133, 1973-21049, 1973-21525.
- Royal Horticultural Society Gardens, Wisley, UK, no details available.
- Thenford House arboretum, Banbury, UK. No details available.
- University of Copenhagen Botanic Garden, acc. nos. S1956-1338, S1997-1304.
[edit] Nurseries
Widely available in North America, Europe, and Australasia.
[edit] External links
The Status of Elms in the Nursery Industry in 2000, by Warren, K., and Schmidt, J. Frank & Son Co. (2002).
[edit] References
- Bean, W. J. (1981). Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain, 7th edition. Murray, London.
- Fu, L., Xin, Y. & Whittemore, A. (2002). Ulmaceae, in Wu, Z. & Raven, P. (eds) Flora of China, Vol. 5 (Ulmaceae through Basellaceae). Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, USA. [2]
- White, J & More, D. (2003). Trees of Britain & Northern Europe. Cassell's, London.
- U. parvifolia fact sheet at Virginia Polytechnic Institute
