Ulmus parvifoliaMaxim., Franch. et Savatier, Forbes & Hemsl., Shirasawa
Ulmus sieboldiiDaveau
Ulmus virgataRoxburgh
Ulmus parvifolia, commonly known as theChinese elm[2] orlacebark elm, is aspecies native to eastern Asia, including China, India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam,[3] Siberia, and Kazakhstan.[4] It has been described as "one of the most splendid elms, having the poise of a gracefulNothofagus".[5]
Chinese elm asbonsai during the spring growing season
A small to mediumdeciduous orsemideciduous (rarely semievergreen) tree, it grows to 10–18 m (33–59 ft) tall and 15–20 m (49–66 ft) wide, with a slender trunk and crown. The leathery, lustrous green, single-toothedleaves are small, 2–5 cm long by 1–3 cm broad,[6] and often are retained as late as December or even January in Europe and North America. In some years, the leaves take on a purplish-red autumn colour.[7] Theapetalous, wind-pollinated,perfect flowers are produced in early autumn, small and inconspicuous. The fruit is asamara, elliptical to ovate-elliptical, 10–13 mm long by 6–8 mm broad.[3] The samara is mostlyglabrous, the seed at the centre or toward the apex, and is borne on a stalk 1–3 mm in length; it matures rapidly and disperses 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 scarring from major branch loss can lead to large, canker-like wounds.Ploidy:2n = 28.[8][9][10][11][12]
YoungU. parvifolia in new leaf, May
New leaves
Foliage and immature fruit
Foliage and mature fruit
Bark
Habit of older tree
U. parvifolia juvenile
U. parvifolia autumn colouring, Japan
Many nurserymen and foresters mistakenly refer toUlmus pumila, the rapidly growing, disease-ridden, relatively short-lived, weak-wooded Siberian elm, as "Chinese elm". This has given the true Chinese elm an undeserved bad reputation. The two elms are distinct species. The Siberian elm's bark becomes deeply ridged and furrowed with age, among other obvious differences. It possesses a very rough, greyish-black appearance, while the Chinese elm's smooth bark becomes flaky and blotchy, exposing distinctive, light-coloured mottling, hence the synonym lacebark elm for the real Chinese elm. Siberian elm produces seed in spring, Chinese elm in autumn.[13]
Elms, hickory, and ash all have remarkably hard, tough wood, making them popular for tool handles, bows, and baseball bats. Chinese elm is considered the hardest of the elms. It is said to be the best of all woods for chisel handles and similar uses due to its superior hardness, toughness, and resistance to splitting. Chinese elm lumber is used most for furniture, cabinets, veneer, hardwood flooring, and specialty uses such as longbow construction and tool handles. Most commercially milled lumber goes directly to manufacturers rather than to retail lumber outlets.[citation needed]
Chinese elm heartwood ranges in tone from reddish-brown to light tan, while the sapwood approaches off-white. The grain is often handsome and dramatic. Unlike other elms, the freshly cut Chinese elm has a peppery or spicy odour. While it turns easily and will take a nice polish off the lathe without any finish, and it holds detail well, the fibrous wood is usually considered too tough for carving or hand tools. Chinese elm contains silica, which is hard on planer knives and chainsaws, but it sands fairly easily. Like other woods with interlocking grain, planes should be kept extra sharp to prevent tearing at the grain margins. It steam-bends easily and holds screws well, but pilot holes and countersinking are needed. It tends to be a "lively" wood, tending to warp and distort while drying. This water-resistant wood easily takes most finishes and stains.[citation needed]
The Chinese elm is highly resistant, but not immune, toDutch elm disease. It is also very resistant to the elm leaf beetleXanthogaleruca luteola, but has a moderate susceptibility toelm yellows.[14] In trials at the Sunshine Nursery, Oklahoma, the species was adjudged as having the best pest resistance of about 200 taxa.[15] However, foliage was regarded as only "somewhat resistant" toblack spot by the Plant Diagnostic Clinic of theUniversity of Missouri.[16]
Cottony cushion scale ormealy bugs, often protected and "herded" by ants, exude sticky, sweethoneydew, which canmildew leaves and be a minor annoyance by dripping on cars and furniture. However, severe infestations on or obvious damage to otherwise healthy trees are uncommon.[citation needed]
In some regions of the Southern United States, a fungus known asTexas root rot (Phymatotrichopsis omnivora) is known to cause sudden death of lacebark elms when infected.[citation needed]Alan Mitchell reported (1984) that established trees atKew Gardens and at Royal Victoria Park,Bath, had been killed byhoney fungus.[17]
The Chinese elm is a tough landscape tree, hardy enough for use in harsh planting situations such as parking lots, small planters along streets, and plazas or patios. The tree is arguably the most ubiquitous elm, now found on all continents except Antarctica. It was introduced to Europe at the end of the 18th century as an ornamental, and is found in many botanical gardens and arboreta.[18][19] The tree was introduced to the UK in 1794 byJames Main, who collected in China for Gilbert Slater ofLow Layton, Essex.[20][8] It was also introduced to the United States in 1794,[21] where, before the introduction of cold-hardy forms from the 1990s, it was mainly planted in southern States and in California.[22] It has proved very popular in recent years as a replacement forAmerican elms killed by Dutch elm disease. The tree was distributed inVictoria, Australia, from 1857.[23] At the beginning of the 20th century, Searl's Garden Emporium, in Sydney, marketed it.[citation needed] ThreeU. parvifolia were supplied in 1902 bySpäth to theRoyal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.[24][25] In New Zealand, it was found to be particularly suitable for windswept locations along the coast. The tree is commonly planted as an ornamental in Japan,[26] notably aroundOsaka Castle.
U. parvifolia is one of the cold-hardiest of the Chinese species. In artificial freezing tests at theMorton Arboretum.[27] theLT50 (temperature at which 50% of tissues die) was found to be −34 °C (−29 °F).
Owing to its versatility and ability to tolerate a wide range of temperatures, light, and humidity conditions, the Chinese elm is a popular choice as abonsai species. It is perhaps the single most widely available. It is considered a good choice for beginners because of its high tolerance of pruning.[28]
U. parvifolia bonsai, multitrunk style, about 100 years old
NaturalisedU. parvifolia establishing itself by a roadside, Greensboro, North Carolina (2022)
U. parvifolia has become naturalised in various parts of the US, including Idaho, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Kentucky.[31][32][33] It is listed as invasive in District of Columbia, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, Virginia, and Wisconsin.[34][35] As a "garden escape" it has also become naturalised in South Africa, where in 1904 it was described as "common nearIrene",[36] and in 1980 as "occasional" inMoreleta Park, both near Pretoria.[37]
The tree inCentral Park, New York City, planted in 1865 by James Hogg,[38][20] from which the cultivarCentral Park Splendor was cloned, was believed to be the oldest specimen of lacebark elm in the US at the time of its death in the 1990s, with a diameter at breast height of 1.4 m.[22]
The name "lacebark elm", referring to the distinctive patchwork bark patterns, was suggested by E. W. Johnson of the Woodward, Oklahoma, USDA research station (who receivedU. parvifolia seed sent from the Far East by collectorFrank Meyer around 1908), to reduce confusion with the Siberian elm,U. pumila, also called Chinese elm in the early days. Carl E. Whitcomb ofOklahoma State University, who raised the cultivar 'Prairie Shade', reintroduced the name "lacebark elm" in hisKnow It and Grow It: A Guide to the Identification and Use of Landscape Plants (1975).[4]
^abFu, 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; also available asFu, L.; Xin, Y. & Whittemore, A."Ulmus parvifolia".Flora of China. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Retrieved5 February 2015.
^Kemp, Eddie (1979). "The Plantsman's Elm". In Clouston, Brian; Stansfield, Kathy (eds.).After the Elm. London: William Heinemann Ltd. p. 39.ISBN978-0-434-13900-2.
^abBean, W. J. (1981).Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain, 7th edition. Murray, London.
^White, J & More, D. (2003).Trees of Britain & Northern Europe. Cassell's, London.
^Mittempergher, L; Santini, A (2004)."The history of elm breeding"(PDF).Investigacion Agraria: Sistemas y Recursos Forestales.13 (1):161–177. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 2017-02-11. Retrieved2017-02-09.
^"greenbeam.com"(PDF).greenbeam.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved29 March 2022.
^Hishiyama, C. (Ed.). (2018).A picture book of (Japanese) trees, p.81. (in Japanese). Seibidoshuppan, Japan.ISBN9784415310183
^Shirazi, A. M. & Ware, G. H. (2004).Evaluation of New Elms from China for Cold Hardiness in Northern Latitudes. International Symposium on Asian Plant Diversity & Systematics 2004, Sakura, Japan.
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