They look very similar and as a layperson it is difficult to tell them apart. But if you take a closer look and compare the details, you will find out that elm and beech differ in many ways.
How can elm and beech be easily distinguished?
In contrast to the beech, the elm has doublesawn, hairy and thereforerough leaves when touched. In addition, the bark of the elm has alongitudinally cracked bark as it ages, while the bark of the beech is smooth.
Which plant families do elm and beech come from?
The elm belongs to theElm family(Ulmaceae) and the beech belongs to theBeech family(Fagaceae). There are around 40 different species of elm trees worldwide. Among them, the mountain elm (Ulmus glabra), the field elm (Ulmus minor) and the white elm (Ulmus laevis) are important in Central Europe. When it comes to beeches, the common beech and the copper beech play the main role. The hornbeam, however, is not a beech plant.
How do the leaves of elm and beech differ?
The leaves of the elm are alternating, are double-serrated on the edge andbristly hairy, which is why they are very rough. They can grow up to 15 cm long and 9 cm wide. In contrast, the beech has a subtly toothed leaf edge. The leaves aresmoothand smaller than those of the elm, with a maximum length of 10 cm and a maximum width of 7 cm. They areopposed.
What fruits do elm and beech produce?
The elm produces fruits that are round andflat, 2 cm in size and very light. They mature in spring and are often dispersed by the wind to seed elsewhere. These are so-calledwinged nutsOn the other hand, the beech hasspiny fruit casings, in which there are two to four beechnuts. They don't ripen until September/October.
When does the elm bloom and when does the beech?
The elm blooms betweenFebruaryand April (before the leaves emerge), the beech only fromApril and until May (with the leaves emerging). So you can distinguish an elm from a beech by its previous flowering period. The elm also has small yellow flowers that grow together in umbels. The beech flowers are inconspicuous white tufts.
How does the bark of the beech differ from that of the elm?
Smoothand verythinis the bark of the beech tree. It rarely tends to form bark. In contrast to the beech, the elm hascoarseand clearlylongitudinally cracked bark. It is colored light gray to gray-brown, while the bark of the beech is silver-gray.
Do the autumn leaves of the beech and the elm differ?
The autumn leaves of the elm and the beechalso differfrom each other in terms of their coloring. The autumn foliage of the elm isyellowto brownish. In comparison, theorange-red autumn leaves of the beech tree look absolutely spectacular, as they only turn brown in winter and tend to remain there until spring of the next year.
What other characteristics distinguish elm and beech?
The worldwidedistribution, theroot systemand thewood color are further distinguishing features of the elm and the beech. There are numerous species of elm in Asia and North America, while the beech is more common in Europe. Furthermore, the elm is a deep-rooted tree and has brown wood. The beech, on the other hand, is a heartroot tree and has a reddish colored wood.
Tip
Attention: Elm can also be confused with hazel
Not only the beech tree looks very similar to the elm tree, but also the hazel tree. If you want to distinguish these two plants from each other, you shouldn't focus on the leaves, as they are quite similar.
