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 Note
serrated margin with 11-15 large teeth per side
Winter twig
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The
leaves are up to 15 cm long and 5 cm broad. They are
borne alternately
on the twigs. The branches are characteristically
flattened (with the leaves arranged in the horizontal
plane - see photo).
The leaves have a serrated margin - hence its name.
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Japanese
elm is a medium sized, deciduous
tree up to 30 m tall. It prefers moist, well drained
soils but is tolerant of heat, little water and
nutrient poor soils within a wide range of pHs.
The
tree is characterised by a short main trunk with low
branching habit.
Separate
male and female flowers occur on the same tree (monoecious),
produced with the leaves in spring.
The
bark is grey-white to grey-brown and either smooth with
lenticels
or peeling in patches revealing an orange inner bark.
It
can be distinguished from Wych
Elm (Ulmus glabra) by its unwinged fruit
and leaves which are symmetrical rather than uneven at
their base
- It
is very resistant to Dutch elm disease, so has been a
replacement for diseased elms.
- It
was introduced from Japan, Korea, eastern China and
Taiwan where it is commonly used in bonsai. In Korea
there are examples over 500 years old with some
registered as natural monuments.
- The
wood is valuable in Japan for furniture as well as for
making traditional taiko drums.
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