Ulmus americana (American elm)

Ulmus americana (American elm). . , Family: Ulmaceae (Elm Family), Distribution: American elm is native throughout the eastern two-thirds of North America. It has been reported in most of the counties in West Virginia, with the few exceptions primarily in the southern part of the state., Size: Trees typically grow to 60-90 feet but can reach heights of over 100 feet in good sites., Habitat/Description: American elms grow best in rich, moist but drained soils, in full sun or partial shade. They are often found in forest, fields, and near rivers as here in the Nature Park. Leaves, which turn yellow in fall, are ovate to oblong, unequal at the base, have doubly serrate edges, and are generally smooth on both surfaces, although the upper surface might be slightly rough. On the other hand, the slippery elm, which may also occur in similar habitats, has leaves that are sandpapery rough on both sides. Flowers are small, in dense clusters close to the stem. Fruits are oval to roundish, flat, and winged, with a notch at the apex. The trees provide cover and nesting places for a variety of birds. Seeds provide food for birds and small mammals, while sapsuckers drill holes to suck the sap. Deer and rabbits may browse the twigs in winter. Leaves provide food for caterpillars of the comma and question-mark butterflies and for a number of moth larvae., Ethnobotanical Uses: The hard wood has an interlocked grain that makes it difficult to split but it can be bent by steaming. Native Americans formerly used the trunks to make canoes, while early settlers used the wood to make barrels, rockers, and hoops for wheels. Today it is useful for making implements like hockey sticks for which the wood needs to be bent. It is also used for making furniture, flooring, veneer, and various containers. Until the appearance of Dutch elm disease, the trees were commonly planted in urban areas because they were tolerant of pollution and drought. Dutch elm disease is caused by an Asian fungus and is carried from tree to tree by bark beetles. The disease was first identified in the United States when it arrived in New York around 1930 from the Netherlands in wood bound for use as veneer in Ohio. By 1989, over three quarters of American elms had succumbed to the disease. Today, valuable trees can be treated with fungicide as a preventative but diseased trees should be removed. Experimental selection and hybridization are underway to find resistant varieties that can again grace our streets as beautiful shade trees.