Plant · P-161

American Elm

Ulmus americana

American Elm is a native stream-bank tree that grows into a 60 to 80 foot vase-shaped shade crown and, once mature, becomes one of the strongest wildlife trees around - its seed, bark and cover feed and shelter songbirds, small mammals and several butterfly species. Its shallow, wide-spreading roots hold a pond berm, creek bank or swale edge together, but the same roots will lift a septic field, water line or foundation, so placement decides whether that root system is an asset or a liability. Dutch elm disease emptied the species from much of its historical range further north, but it is treated as a minor pressure in warmer regions, so choosing a resistant cultivar is a preference here rather than a requirement.