Get to know this plant.
Identification clue 1
Simple coarse marginal teeth
Identification clue 2
Elm-like alternate leaves
Identification clue 3
Small unwinged fruits
Read the leaves
Side veins run to prominent teeth. Compare the relatively even leaf base and single teeth with American elm's unequal base and doubled teeth.
More growing details
Read the bark
Gray bark becomes exfoliating, revealing orange-brown patches on older trees.
Fruit & seed
Small rounded drupes lack the broad papery wings of elm fruits.
Winter character
Fine alternate twigs and developing bark patches help when leaves are absent.
Origin & place
An introduced garden species or horticultural hybrid; study it as part of WNC landscapes rather than assume it belongs to the native mountain flora.
Compare with Elms
Elm fruits are winged samaras; zelkova fruits are small and unwinged.
WNC Notes
Tough elm relative; train young to avoid narrow crowded branch unions.
Sun Exposure
Full sun
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
50–70
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
35–50
BLOOM SEASON
Spring
BLOOM COLOR
Inconspicuous
FALL / WINTER COLOR
Orange-bronze
Wet-Soil Tolerance
High
Drought Tolerance
Low