Japanese zelkova (Zelkova serratta)

Species info:

Leaves: Alternate, simple, 2–5 inches long, oval with serrated margins. Rough dark green in summer, turning orange-brown to red in fall.

Leaflets: N/A (simple leaves).

Leaf Surface: Coarse and slightly rough (sandpapery texture); dark green above, paler beneath.

Bark: Rough and gray-brown when young, becoming exfoliating with age to reveal orange and gray patches on older trunks.

Flowers: Inconspicuous, greenish flowers appearing in spring.

Fruit: Small, dry, round drupes in fall; inconspicuous.

Botanical: Ulmus parvifolia

Family: Ulmaceae

Mature Height: 50–80 feet

Canopy Spread: 50–70 feet

Foliage Type: Deciduous

Tree Shape: Vase-shaped when young, becoming broad and spreading with age

Growth Rate: Moderate (fast in some cultivars)

Fall Color: Orange-brown to rusty red

Water Use: Moderate; tolerates drought once established

Hardiness: Zones 5–8

Soil Preference: Prefers deep, fertile, moist, well-drained soils; tolerates a wide range of conditions including heat, wind, and urban pollution

Wildlife Value: Provides shade and some cover for birds; small fruit occasionally eaten by wildlife

Pests/Pathogens: Resistant to Dutch elm disease and elm leaf beetle

Planting Recommendations: Not recommended due to lack of cold hardiness

Information Sources:

• Front Range Tree Recommendation List

• Michael Dirr, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (University of Georgia, 1990)

• Michael Kuhns, Trees of Utah and the Intermountain West (Utah State University Press, 1998)