Ulmus glabra seed

Ulmus glabra, the wych elm or Scots elm,

Overview: wych elm is hard to tell apart from English elm. Mature trees can grow to a height of 30m. The bark is smooth and grey when young, becoming grey-brown and fissured after 20 years. Twigs are dark grey and covered in coarse hairs, and leaf buds are hairy, purple-black and squat in shape.

Leaves: toothed, and at 7-16cm in length, they are larger than those of any other native tree. They have a characteristic asymmetrical base and taper to a sudden point at the top.

Flowers: appear before the leaves in early spring. They are red-purple in colour, and appear in clusters of 10 to 20, spaced out along the twigs and small branches. Elms are hermaphrodite, meaning that both male and female reproductive parts are contained within each Flower.

Fruits: once pollinated by wind, flowers develop into small, winged fruits known as samaras. These are dispersed by wind.