Common Name: American
Elm
This Tree in Colorado: American elm is a tree that continues to grace the streets and avenues of our cities and towns. It's characteristic vase-shaped branching habit makes it one of the finest street trees around. Dutch elm disease reeked havoc on the large leafed elms for the last 60 years. Many streets lost their beauty and shade. However, good sanitation practices now make it worth attempting growing elms once again in our parks, along our streets and in our years.
Habit: A graceful vase-shape in most situations. Other types of growth patterns include spreading and upright.
Landscape Value: Still valued. With the ability to control the spread of Dutch elm disease, more cities are replanting this majestic trees. They have tremendous value it providing good branching conditions for over streets and sidewalks. The drawback to elms are all the insects and diseases that seem to affect it. The list is long. But still, American elms are a stately tree and should be replanted. However they should not be replanted to a monoculture density as they were in the past.
Flowers:
Samara about 1/2" long; oval; a flat thin wing around the see, wing
hairy-fringed and notched at tip.