Ulmus laevis seed
LATIN NAME: ULMUS LAEVIS
COMMON NAME: European White Elm
Along the riversides and the low meadows of Europe, the European white elm grows as a tall, broad, deciduous tree with the large, doubly toothed leaves set unevenly at the base and the small, greenish flower clusters opening before the leaves, the round, papery, hairy-edged winged fruits following in the late spring. The plant steadily develops a rounded crown, often reaching 5-10 metres. It thrives in the sun and the deep, damp ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The European white elm appears in the studies of the riverside trees of the lowlands, its hairy-edged winged fruits and its tolerance of the seasonal flooding keeping it in view in the work on the floodplain woodlands and the elms of the European river valleys. The research looks at the way the uneven leaves catch the river light, the papery fruits drift on the spring air, and the seed biology of the short-lived seeds.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the waterside park and the damp meadow, the European white elm lifts the broad, airy crown above the floodplain and feeds the insects with the early flowers. The winged fruits scatter in the spring wind, the tough timber has served the boatbuilders and the wheelwrights, and the tree makes the fine riverside specimen, the shelter tree and the damp-ground tree. It is a tree for the open, moist, deep and fertile place.
To grow the European White Elm from seed, sow the winged seeds as soon as they are gathered, on moist soil.
Sow the winged seeds as soon as they are gathered, on moist soil, and keep the young trees in the open, damp spot. The papery fruits scatter with the late spring.
LATIN NAME: Ulmus laevis
COMMON NAME: European White Elm, Fluttering Elm, Spreading Elm, Stately Elm
The European white elm is a tree of rivers and floodplains, and it has a graceful, spreading beauty that has long been admired. The plant grows into a rosette of leaves, to about sixty centimetres. In early spring it bears clusters of small, reddish flowers, followed by the flat, winged seeds, called samaras, that flutter down in the breeze, which is how it got one of its names. It is a tree of the water meadows, tough and handsome.
The European white elm belongs to the elm family, Ulmaceae, and it is native to Europe, from France northeast to southern Finland and east beyond the Urals into central Asia. It is one of the few elms of Europe that shows real resistance to Dutch elm disease.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a European white elm from seed is easy and very rewarding. The winged seeds ripen in early summer and are best sown fresh, since they lose vigour quickly. Sow them in pots of free-draining compost, cover them very lightly, and keep them warm, bright and evenly moist. Germination is often rapid, within two to three weeks. Pot the seedlings on as they grow and plant them out in a sunny spot in moist, reasonably good soil, ideally near water, since the tree loves riversides. A seed-raised elm will grow quickly into a graceful, spreading tree.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The European white elm has a genuine and important place in forestry and conservation research. Since Dutch elm disease has devastated the elms of Europe, the white elm has become a key subject in research, because it shows real resistance to the disease, and researchers have studied its genetics, its resistance and its value in replanting elms across the continent. The tree has also been studied in ecology for its role in the floodplain and riverine forests of Europe, where it is a characteristic species, and for its value to the many insects and birds that depend on elms. In recent years, it has also been of interest in conservation genetics, as researchers work to understand and preserve its remaining populations. For a tree of such resilience and such value to the riverside, the white elm has a rich and practical record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the European white elm is a generous tree of the floodplain. Its flowers and seeds feed birds and small mammals, its leaves feed the caterpillars of many moths and butterflies, and its broad canopy gives shade and shelter along the rivers where it grows.
Its economic value is real. The wood is tough and hard to split, and it has been used for furniture, boxes, boat building and other work, while the tree is also valued in forestry and landscape planting, especially now that it offers a disease-resistant choice for replanting elms. For a grower, the white elm is a resilient and handsome tree, and for a gardener it brings the graceful, spreading character of the European riverside.