The American elm tree (Ulmus americana) is a large stately tree that complements the landscape. Also known as white elm, water elm and soft elm, this tree is found throughout the country, especially the eastern U.S, but it thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 9. Elm tree populations sharply declined in the past due to Dutch elm disease, spread by the bark beetle, but today disease-resistant cultivars exist. Elm trees flower and fruit alongside other deciduous trees in the spring.
Elm Tree Basics
Elm trees are deciduous trees that reach 80 to 100 feet tall and 60 to 120 feet wide at maturity. The textured, grey trunk of an elm tree can be as much as 4 to 7 feet wide. American elm trees have textured, deep green leaves with saw-toothed edges. The leaves turn a brilliant yellow hue in the fall before dropping in the winter. Elm trees thrive in many different soil types and conditions, so long as the soil drains properly and the tree receives full sun to partial shade.
Also referred to as seeds or samaras, the hairy fruit of the elm tree is not edible by humans, and it doesn't hold much ornamental appeal. Fruit appears on the elm tree following flowering in the springtime. Elm tree seeds reach maturity at the end of the tree’s flowering cycle, and fall to the ground. The green seeds are round and flat, and are approximately 1 inch in length and thickness.
A large, mature elm tree produces prolific amounts of seed pods, which cause a mess on yards, driveways and walkways. Fortunately, birds and wildlife, such as mice, squirrels and opossums, consume elm tree fruits, reducing some of the mess.
The weather during the spring dictates when an elm tree starts its annual flowering and fruiting. In a mild, Mediterranean climate, frosts do not threaten to kill elm seed crops; however, a wet spring can delay pollination. Flowers typically appear within two weeks of pollination, which occurs as early as February. Elm trees begin to fruit soon after the flowers appear. The fruit of the elm tree ripens and falls from the tree, with the fruiting and flowering cycle drawing to a close by the middle to the end of March.
Tree Age and Fruiting
The age of your elm tree plays a large role in when the tree starts to produce fruit. Seed production starts when an elm tree is approximately 15 years or older and is slow to start. The tree does not produce great quantities of seeds until it has reached maturity, around age 40. Elm trees continue to fruit each year throughout their lifetime. Trees as old as 300 years continue to produce flowers and fruit each spring.