HLC-21

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White Elm (Ulmus americana)

Common Name: White Elm
Scientific Name: Ulmus americana
Other Names: American Elm, Grey Elm, Soft Elm, Swamp Elm, Water Elm.

Leaf: Simple, alternate; oval; thick, somewhat rough; 10-15cm long; Base asymmetrical, tip pointed; double-toothed; veins prominent each ending in a large tooth; slightly hairy; turn yellow in autumn.
Flower: Small, inconspicuous; green and red; in tassel-like clusters; on individual long slender stalks; male and female in same flower.
Fruit:
Twig: Somewhat slender, zigzag; brownish gray; solid, round; buds pruplish brown; end bud angled 60 degrees from twig; lateral buds pressed against twig.
Bark: On younger trees, smooth, gray, soon cracking vertically; on older trees, ash gray; deeply furrower with wide intersecting ridges; often scaly.
Wood: Hard, heavy, strong, tough, flexible; odorless, tasteless; heartwood pale yellowish or reddish brown; annual growth rings distinct.

Facts About This Tree:
1. One of the largest trees of eastern Canada: up to 35m high and 175cm in diameter.
2. Once a characteristic feature of city streets, parks and rural landscapes in eastern Canada, but Dutch elm disease has eliminated many of the large trees – 90% are gone since 1930.
3. Elms are soil improvers – their leaves, rich in iron, potassium, and calcium, decompose rapidly to replenish the soil.
4. Elm branches are a favorite spot for northern or Baltimore orioles to set up home.
5. Massive old white elms are often hollow or punky in the centre – woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches move into the cavities to set up housekeeping.
6. American Elm wood is relatively odourless; for this reason, it has been used to make crates and barrels to transport cheese, fruits, and vegetables.

Lat, Long: 43.74287, -79.79603
Diameter (DBH): 39.2 cm
Last Year Modified: 2015
Carbon Stored in this Tree: 358.459 kg of C
Equivalent CO2: 1314.219 kg of C

Find more trees in Heart Lake Conservation Area.

Reference
1. Blouin, Glen. 2001. An Eclectic Guide to Trees East of the Rockies. Erin, ON. Boston Mills Press
2. Petrides George A. 1998. A Field Guide to Eastern Trees: Eastern United States and Canada, Second Edition. NY. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
3. Farrar, J. L. 2007. Trees in Canada. ON. Canadian Forest Service.
4. Photo Credit: Daniel J. S. Kim, Paul Wray, oregonstate.edu, www.minnesotaseasons.com
5. Kershaw, Linda. 2001. Trees of Ontario. Edmonton, AB Canada. Lone Pine Publishing.

Copyright 2015 Association for Canadian Educational Resources