Zelkova schneideriana Seeds | Schneider’s Zelkova
LATIN NAME: Zelkova schneideriana
COMMON NAME: Schneider’s Zelkova, Chinese Zelkova
Plant Profile
Known to gardeners as Schneider’s Zelkova, Zelkova schneideriana is a large, deciduous tree in the elm family (Ulmaceae), native to warm woodlands of the east, while it has been cultivated in parks and avenues for its graceful habit. Given room and time, it reaches roughly Thirty metres. Not many plants ask so little and repay so much.
Science & Biotechnology
Zelkova schneideriana sits in the elm family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. The Zelkova schneideriana has a real and distinguished place in research. The upshot for anyone sowing it is reassurance — cultivated stock of this plant has a long, well-documented track record.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, Schneider’s Zelkova earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. Zelkova is a large, graceful tree of warm woodlands and parks, bearing elegant, vase-shaped crown and small, toothed leaves. To raise zelkova, sow seeds in pots of deep, open soil in a cool, bright place, keep them gently watered, and grow little trees on in the sun. After the first season it asks for very little beyond a place that suits it.
Zelkovas are the graceful vase-shaped shade trees of Asia, their wood prized for fine furniture and taiko drums.
Growing from Seed
Seed is the natural starting point for Schneider’s Zelkova, and the process is uncomplicated. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. The seed responds well to a cool, moist stratification period, which helps it break dormancy evenly. Grow the youngsters on steadily in pots until well rooted, then move them to their final positions.
Our Take
Reaching thirty metres, it needs room to show its full form. Within its genus it stands out for garden reliability. The seed responds well to a spell of cold stratification, a small step that pays off.
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