Wych elm Ulmus glabra

Features

It is a deciduous tree that can reach a height of up to 35 m and has a trunk diameter of up to 150 cm.

Species	Trees (Macrofanerophytes)
Living space	Bright forest, Deciduous forest, Mixed forest, Treeline
Size	up to 35 m

Description

The type sometimes reaches heights of 40 m, typically with a broad crown where open-grown, supported by a short bole up to 2 m diameter at breast height. Normally, root suckers are not seen; natural reproduction is by seed alone. The tree is notable for its very tough, supple young shoots, which are always without the corky ridges or 'wings' characteristic of many elms. The alternate leaves are deciduous, 6–17 cm long by 3–12 cm broad, usually obovate with an asymmetric base, the lobe often completely covering the short (<5 mm) petiole; the upper surface is rough. Leaves on juvenile or shade-grown shoots sometimes have three or more lobes near the apex. The perfect hermaphrodite flowers appear before the leaves in early spring, produced in clusters of 10–20; they are 4 mm across on 10 mm long stems, and being wind-pollinated, are apetalous. The fruit is a winged samara 20 mm long and 15 mm broad, with a single, round, 6 mm seed in the centre, maturing in late spring. Under favorable growing conditions, mountain elm can reach the age of several hundred years. Its wood has a beautiful color and texture and is generally of exceptional quality. It has a narrow layer of whitish and a reddish brown blackish with a greenish tinge.