Ulmus campestris Seeds | Wych Elm
LATIN NAME: Ulmus campestris
COMMON NAME: Wych Elm, Scots Elm, Field Elm
Plant Profile
Wych Elm (Ulmus campestris) grows as a large, deciduous tree in the elm family. Wych elm is one of great trees of the European countryside, and its sweeping, fountain-like crown is unmistakable. It is a large, deciduous tree that can reach thirty metres, with a broad, domed canopy of rough, oval leaves that are sharply toothed and held in elegant sprays, turning butter-yellow in autumn. In early spring, before leaves, it bears small clusters of reddish flowers, and these are followed by flat, papery, winged seeds called samaras that flutter down like little green coins. In good conditions it grows to around Fifteen hundred metres. For the gardener, the sum of these traits is a plant that is easy to live with.
Science & Biotechnology
Botanists studying the elm family regularly include Ulmus campestris in comparative work, and the species also appears in horticultural trials aimed at gardeners and growers. Wych elm has a distinguished and, in recent decades, a sobering record in research. Little about its garden performance is mysterious; it has been grown and observed for a very long time.
Uses & Benefits
Wych Elm brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. Ecologically, wych elm is a generous tree. Its early flowers feed bees when little else is in bloom, its seeds feed birds and small mammals, and its dense canopy gives shade and shelter across the European countryside. Tough, durable timber has been used for furniture, boatbuilding, wheelwrights work and water pipes, and tree has been planted as a shade and avenue tree for centuries. Given the right start, it carries on with minimal intervention.
Slippery elm inner bark is a soothing demulcent powder for throats and digestion, a staple of North American herbalism; the great elms also gave cities their cathedral avenues before Dutch elm disease.
Growing from Seed
Wych Elm grows readily from seed. Growing a wych elm from seed is easy and very rewarding. Papery, winged seeds ripen in early summer and are best sown fresh, as soon as they fall. Scatter the seed evenly over a loose seed compost, cover to no more than its own depth, and keep the pot moist and bright. Move strong seedlings into individual pots, keep them in good light, and set them out when the weather and their size agree.
Our Take
It forms a large, deciduous tree, which makes spacing and siting straightforward. The medicinal tradition behind this species, outlined above, is a large part of its interest. Give the seed freshness and steady moisture, and nature handles the rest.
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