Shizhao · CC BY-SA 2.5
About
The Siberian elm, *Ulmus pumila*, is a fast-growing, deciduous tree native to Central Asia, known for its adaptability and ability to thrive in disturbed, nutrient-poor ground. It is a notable species for its rapid growth and tolerance for drought and cold, making it popular for shelter belts and landscaping.
Field notes
Morphology
The tree is usually a small to medium-sized, often bushy, deciduous tree, growing to 25 m (82 ft) tall and 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in diameter at breast height. The bark is dark gray and irregularly longitudinally fissured. The leaf blade is elliptic-ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, measuring 2–8 by 1.2–3.5 centimetres, and changes from dark green to yellow in autumn. The perfect, apetalous, wind-pollinated flowers bloom in early spring, and the wind-dispersed samarae are whitish tan, orbicular to broadly obovate, measuring 1 cm–2 cm × 1 cm–1.5 cm.
Distribution & habitat
Native to Central Asia, eastern Siberia, the Russian Far East, Mongolia, Tibet, northern China, India (northern Kashmir), and Korea. It is found as high as 8000 feet in the Sandia Mountains in New Mexico.
Cultivation notes
It was widely cultivated in North America, Argentina, and southern Europe, and was used in the US for planting shelter belts due to its rapid growth and tolerance for drought and cold. It has been used in viniculture in Italy, and is also popular as a bonsai subject in Great Britain.
History & etymology
The species was described by Peter Simon Pallas in the 18th century from specimens from Transbaikal.
Habitat
- Altitude
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- Altitude Class
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Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
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