You can definitely recognize an elm tree by its typical growth, the leaves or the fruits. Differentiating between the different types of deciduous trees is a little more difficult. But if you know which details to pay attention to, distinguishing them isn't a problem at all. In this profile you will find out everything about the wych elm. The deciduous tree has numerous interesting facts to offer in terms of growth habit, flower and fruit formation and occurrence.
What is typical of the wych elm?
The wych elm (Ulmus glabra) is a native deciduous tree that can grow up to 40 meters high and has a lifespan of up to 400 years. It has elliptical, serrated leaves and bears inconspicuous yellow flowers as well as spherical nuts as seeds.
General
- German name: mountain elm
- Latin name: Ulmus glabra
- other names: White-Earth
- Family: Elm family
- Tree type: deciduous tree
- maximum age: up to 400 years
Occurrences
- Origin: native
- Distribution: throughout Europe, up to altitudes of 1300 meters
- Locations: ravine and shady hillside forests
- Soil requirements: moist, nutrient-rich, alkaline, loam and clay
- special threat: Dutch elm disease introduced by the elm bark beetle (ascomycete fungus)
Habitus
Growth
- maximum height: up to 40 meters
- Trunk diameter: up to 3 meters
Flowers
- Pollination: Self-pollination
- Flowering time: March to April
- unstalked
- Shape: umbels
- hermaphrodite
- manable at 30-40 years old
- blooms every two years
- Color: inconspicuous yellow
- Size: 3-6 mm
leaves
- Arrangement: alternate
- Shape: elliptical, egg-shaped
- sawn leaf edge
- summergreen
- asymmetrical
- Size: 8-20 cm long, 5-9 cm wide
- Top of leaf; dark green, rough
- Underside of leaf: slightly lighter, white hairy
- three-cornered
- Danger of confusion with hazel
Bark and wood
- Bark color: grey-brown
- Appearance of the bark: smooth when young, later longitudinally cracked
- Color of the wood: yellowish-white sapwood, pale gray, reddish core
- ringporig
- tough
- moderately hard
- very pressure and shockproof
- Wood is considered valuable
- works well
- beautiful grain
Fruits
- Type of fruit: Nuts
- Shape: spherical
- Fruit ripening: May to June
- has a thin wing
- Size: 10-25 mm
- Spread through the wind
- only viable for a short time
- germinates after two to three weeks
- Seed sits in the middle of the fruit
Root
- Type of root: taproot when young, later sinker root
- very deep and stable
Usage
- in gardens, avenues or parks
- Wood is used for veneering, furniture, guns, parquet, musical instruments or paneling
