# Elm: Species, Identification, Distribution in the Czech Republic and Cultivation

*Ulmus*

> Source: https://www.stromyvcr.cz/en/elm-ulmus/ · Author: Tomáš Rohlena · Updated: 2026-10-30

The elm (Ulmus) is a broadleaf tree of the elm family, recognisable by its lopsided leaf bases and round winged fruits. Three species are native to the Czech Republic – wych elm, field elm and European white elm – all heavily decimated by Dutch elm disease since the 20th century.

**Elm (Ulmus)** is a genus of deciduous broadleaf trees in the elm family (Ulmaceae), found across the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. The easiest way to recognise one is by the **asymmetrical leaf base** and the small, round **winged seeds (samaras)** that ripen as early as spring. Three species are native to the Czech Republic – wych elm, field elm and European white elm – and all are important trees of floodplain and ravine forests, though since the 20th century they have been severely weakened by a fungal infection known as Dutch elm disease.

## Elm at a glance

| Scientific name | Ulmus L. |
| --- | --- |
| Family | elm family (Ulmaceae), order Rosales |
| Number of species | roughly 30–40 species, many hybrids |
| Height | usually 20–35 m, exceptionally up to around 40 m |
| Lifespan | commonly 200–400 years, occasionally more |
| Leaves | alternate, simple, doubly serrated, with an asymmetrical base |
| Flowering | early spring (March–April), before leaf-out; wind-pollinated |
| Fruit | round winged samara, ripening in May to June |
| Occurrence in the Czech Republic | floodplain forests, scree and ravine forests, riverbanks, parks and avenues |
| Protection | not legally protected, but populations are heavily weakened by Dutch elm disease |

## How to identify an elm

Elms are [broadleaf trees](https://www.stromyvcr.cz/en/broadleaf-trees/) that, with a little practice, can be recognised in any season. The key features are:

- **Leaves** are alternate, simple, elliptical to obovate, with a **doubly serrated** margin (large teeth bearing smaller teeth). The most typical feature is the **asymmetrical leaf base**: one half of the blade joins the stalk lower than the other. Venation is pinnate, with parallel lateral veins.
- **Flowers** are tiny, bisexual and inconspicuous, clustered on last year's twigs. They appear before the leaves, giving the spring crown a purplish to brownish tinge.
- **Fruits** are flat, round to oval **winged samaras** with the seed in the centre or nearer the notch at the top. They ripen in late spring and are dispersed by the wind in large numbers.
- **Bark** is smooth and grey-brown on young trees, later becoming longitudinally furrowed. Some forms of field elm have prominent **corky ridges** on their twigs.
- **Buds** are dark, ovoid and arranged alternately in two rows, giving the twigs a characteristic herringbone appearance.

The asymmetrical leaf base reliably distinguishes elm from hornbeam, with which it is often confused. Hornbeam has symmetrical leaves and nutlets attached to a three-lobed bract.

## Elm species in the Czech Republic

The original article used outdated or incorrect names. According to current nomenclature, the following three species are native here:

### Wych elm (Ulmus glabra)

Formerly also known by the synonym Ulmus scabra. It has the largest leaves of all native species, usually 8–16 cm long, **rough as sandpaper** on the upper surface, with a very short stalk. The tip often has three short lobes. The seed sits in the centre of the wing. It grows up to 30–40 m tall and prefers moist, nutrient-rich soils in foothills and uplands, typically in scree and ravine forests alongside sycamore [maple](https://www.stromyvcr.cz/en/maple-acer/), ash and lime.

### Field elm (Ulmus minor)

Listed in older literature as Ulmus carpinifolia, and known in Czech folk usage as **brest**. The leaves are smaller (about 4–10 cm), smooth and glossy above, with a markedly asymmetrical base. The seed is set towards the notch at the top of the wing. It is a warmth-loving lowland species growing in floodplain forests, at the edges of riparian woodland, in groves and scrub in warmer regions, especially South Moravia and the Elbe lowlands. It often spreads by root suckers and forms shrubby thickets.

### European white elm (Ulmus laevis)

A typical tree of the floodplain forests of large rivers, tolerant of prolonged flooding. You can recognise it by its **long-stalked flowers and fruits** dangling on slender stalks, and by the **ciliate (fringed) margin of the samara wing**. The leaves are strongly asymmetrical at the base. Older trees develop **plank-like buttress roots** at the base of the trunk and numerous epicormic shoots. The European white elm is somewhat more resistant to Dutch elm disease than the other two species because the bark beetles that spread the disease show little interest in its bark.

### Non-native elms and hybrids

- **Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila)**: a small-leaved species from East Asia, planted in windbreaks and along roads. It is resistant to drought and Dutch elm disease and has gone wild in some places.
- **Dutch elm (Ulmus × hollandica)**: a hybrid of wych and field elm that also arises spontaneously in the wild. Many park cultivars belong here.

Identifying elms in the field is complicated by their readiness to hybridise, so several features must be assessed together: leaf size and roughness, stalk length, flower stalks and the position of the seed in the wing.

| Feature | Wych elm | Field elm | European white elm |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Leaf length | 8–16 cm | 4–10 cm | 6–12 cm |
| Leaf surface | rough | smooth, glossy | smooth to slightly rough |
| Flower and fruit stalk | short | short | long, fruits dangle |
| Seed in wing | central | near the top notch | central, wing fringed |
| Typical habitat | scree forests, foothills | warm lowlands, floodplains | flooded riparian forests |

## Where elms grow and their ecology

The genus Ulmus occurs in Europe, Asia and North America, extending into the mountains of Central America. Its greatest diversity is in East Asia. In the Czech Republic elms never formed pure stands but were an important component of **floodplain forests** (white and field elm) and **scree forests** (wych elm). In floodplain forests they grow alongside pedunculate oak, ash, [poplars](https://www.stromyvcr.cz/topol/) and willows.

Elms like deep, moist, nutrient-rich soils. Dozens of insect species feed on their leaves, such as the rare white-letter hairstreak butterfly, whose caterpillars depend directly on elms. The early flowers are an early source of pollen and the seeds are a popular food for birds.

### Dutch elm disease: the disease that changed the landscape

**Dutch elm disease** is a vascular disease caused by the fungi *Ophiostoma ulmi* and the more aggressive *Ophiostoma novo-ulmi*. The spores are spread by **elm bark beetles** (genus *Scolytus*), small beetles that breed under the bark of weakened elms. The fungus blocks the water-conducting vessels, the tree wilts and usually dies within one to several seasons. The first symptom is sudden yellowing and withering of leaves in part of the crown; a cut branch shows brown dots or rings in the young wood.

The first wave of the epidemic hit Europe in the 1920s, and a second, far more destructive wave from the 1960s and 1970s. Hundreds of thousands of large elms vanished from avenues, parks and forests. Yet elms have not died out: thanks to their ability to resprout, they survive as younger trees and shrubs, which often die once their trunks reach a thickness suitable for the bark beetles.

## Wood and uses

Elm wood is hard, strong, tough and difficult to split, with a striking grain and brown heartwood. It is exceptionally durable underwater. In the past it was therefore used for:

- **veneers and furniture**, especially for its decorative grain,
- **hydraulic structures**, mill wheels, piles and wooden water pipes,
- **wheelwrighting**, mainly wheel hubs, because the wood does not split,
- shipbuilding, parquet flooring, turned and carved items.

Elm leaves were a nutritious fodder for livestock, and the inner bark was used to make ropes and mats. Because of Dutch elm disease, quality elm timber is now rare and prized.

## Growing elm in the garden

Elms are undemanding, tolerate pruning and urban conditions well, grow quickly and resprout readily. The main risk is Dutch elm disease, so **resistant cultivars** are recommended for gardens and towns.

### Site and soil

- **Light**: sun to partial shade; wych elm tolerates more shade.
- **Soil**: deep, fertile, moist; European white elm copes with periodically flooded sites, field and Siberian elm with drier soils.
- **Space**: mature trees need plenty of room; for smaller gardens choose dwarf or weeping cultivars.

### Planting and care

Bare-root trees are planted during dormancy in autumn or early spring; container-grown trees any time except during frost or severe drought. Water and mulch regularly for the first two to three years. Prune ideally in late summer or winter, never in spring when bark beetles are flying, as fresh wounds attract them.

### Recommended cultivars

- **Ulmus glabra 'Camperdownii'**: a weeping elm with an umbrella-shaped crown, popular in parks.
- **Ulmus × hollandica 'Wredei'**: a smaller tree with golden-yellow, crinkled leaves.
- **Resistant cultivars** such as 'Lobel', 'New Horizon' or the 'Resista' series, bred with Asian species in their parentage for avenue planting.

### Diseases and pests

Besides Dutch elm disease, elms are attacked by gall-forming aphids (such as *Tetraneura ulmi* and *Eriosoma*), bark beetles and leaf-eating beetles such as the elm leaf beetle. Parts of the tree showing symptoms of Dutch elm disease must be removed promptly and the wood burned or debarked so it does not become a breeding ground for bark beetles.

## Curiosities and cultural significance

- In ancient Rome elms served as living supports for grapevines. The "marriage of the elm and the vine" became a frequent motif in poetry and art.
- In Homer's Iliad, nymphs planted elms around the tomb of King Eetion; in Greek mythology the elm was associated with mourning and the underworld.
- Elms formed the backbone of historic avenues in Europe and North America until Dutch elm disease decimated them. Today they are mostly replaced in avenues by [limes](https://www.stromyvcr.cz/lipa/) and maples.
- The Czech town of Jilemnice and the surname Jílek derive from the Czech word for elm (jilm), showing how common elms once were in the landscape.
- Many old elms have been declared **memorial trees**; they are among the most valuable remnants of the original populations.

## Summary

The elm is a stately broadleaf tree with asymmetrical leaves and round winged fruits. Native to the Czech Republic are **wych elm (Ulmus glabra)**, **field elm (Ulmus minor)** and **European white elm (Ulmus laevis)**, supplemented by the non-native Siberian elm and hybrids. Their tough wood was valued in hydraulic engineering, wheelwrighting and furniture making. Although Dutch elm disease has removed most large trees from the landscape, elms survive thanks to their ability to resprout, and resistant cultivars are restoring them to parks and avenues.

## FAQ

**How can I tell an elm from a hornbeam or beech?**

Elm leaves have a markedly asymmetrical base and a doubly serrated margin, whereas hornbeam and beech leaves have a symmetrical base. Elms also produce round winged samaras that ripen as early as late spring.

**Which elm species grow in the Czech Republic?**

The native species are wych elm (Ulmus glabra), field elm (Ulmus minor) and European white elm (Ulmus laevis). The non-native Siberian elm and the hybrid Dutch elm are also planted.

**What is Dutch elm disease?**

Dutch elm disease is a vascular disease caused by the fungi Ophiostoma ulmi and O. novo-ulmi, spread by elm bark beetles. It blocks the tree's vessels, causing it to wilt and usually die.

**Are elms protected in the Czech Republic?**

Elms are not among the specially protected species under Czech law, but their populations are severely weakened by Dutch elm disease. Many old elms have been declared memorial trees.

**What is elm wood used for?**

Hard, tough elm wood is used for veneers, furniture, parquet and turned items. In the past it was also used for hydraulic structures, water pipes and wheel hubs, as it is very durable underwater.

**Which elm is suitable for a garden?**

For smaller gardens, the weeping elm 'Camperdownii' or the yellow-leaved 'Wredei' are good choices. For avenues and larger spaces, cultivars resistant to Dutch elm disease such as 'Lobel' or the 'Resista' series are recommended.