Ulmus davidiana aka Japanese Elm
Taxonomy ID: 1504
Ulmus davidiana, commonly called David elm or Father David elm, is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree native to a broad swath of temperate East and northeast Asia, including China, Mongolia, Korea, Siberia, and Japan. The species was first described in 1873 from the hills north of Beijing and named in honor of the French missionary-naturalist Père Armand David, who introduced the tree to Europe in the nineteenth century. It typically reaches about 15 m (50 ft) in height with a relatively slender trunk under 0.3 m in diameter and a dense, vase-shaped crown of upright then arching branches that casts heavy shade. The bark stays smooth for a comparatively long time before eventually breaking into longitudinal fissures.
The leaves are simple, alternate, and obovate to obovate-elliptic, generally less than 10 cm × 5 cm, doubly serrated and rough on the upper surface; they emerge with a reddish tint, mature to dark green, and turn deep yellow before falling. Wind-pollinated, apetalous flowers are borne on second-year shoots in early spring (March in the wild, May in cultivation in the UK), followed by small obovate samarae under 19 mm long. Two infraspecific taxa are usually recognized: var. davidiana, restricted to China, and var. japonica (Japanese elm), which is widely distributed across northeast Asia and Japan and is sometimes treated as a separate species. Cultivars such as 'Mitsui Centennial', 'Jacan', 'Prospector', and 'Discovery' have been selected, mainly in North America, for ornamental form and Dutch elm disease resistance.
In the wild the species occupies wetlands, alluvial swamp forests, and stream sides up to about 2,300 m elevation, and it is naturally tolerant of moist to wet soils. In cultivation it grows on a wide range of light, medium, or heavy soils, prefers well-drained ground, and accepts mildly acidic through neutral to basic (calciferous) pH. It performs in full sun to partial shade and is hardy to roughly USDA zones 4-8 depending on provenance, with documented tolerance of severe spring freezes — Ohio State trial trees retained at least half their emerging leaves after a five-day hard freeze at −6 °C. Beyond ornamental and silvicultural uses, the leaves and young fruits are recorded as edible cooked or raw, the inner bark is dried and ground as a soup thickener or fiber source for cordage and coarse cloth, and the wood — heavy, tough, and durable in water — has been worked into axles and hubs. The species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Common names
Japanese Elm, Davids ElmMore information about Japanese Elm
How big does Japanese Elm grow?
Ulmus davidiana is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree typically reaching about 15 m (50 ft) tall with a slender trunk under 0.3 m in diameter and a dense vase-shaped crown of upright then arching branches. Growth rate reports vary — Useful Temperate Plants describes the species as fast-growing, while Wikipedia notes that the Japanese variety can be comparatively slow with leaves rarely flushing before mid-May.
How much water does Japanese Elm need?
The tree naturally inhabits wetlands and alluvial swamp forests near streams, so it prefers consistently moist soil and tolerates wet conditions better than much of the older horticultural literature suggested. Once established it accepts a range of moisture levels in cultivation as long as the site is not droughty.
What soil does Japanese Elm prefer?
Ulmus davidiana adapts to light, medium, or heavy soils and prefers well-drained ground, though it also handles the moist alluvial substrates of its native range. Soil pH is flexible — mildly acidic, neutral, or basic — and Ohio State trials confirmed good performance on calciferous (alkaline) soils.
What temperatures can Japanese Elm tolerate?
The species is hardy to roughly USDA zones 4-8 and tolerates severe spring cold; Ohio State trial trees kept at least half their emerging leaves after a five-day hard freeze at −6 °C in April 2007. Oregon State lists its hardiness around USDA zone 6 in the Pacific Northwest landscape context.
What are Japanese Elm flowers like?
Flowers are perfect, apetalous, and wind-pollinated, appearing on second-year shoots in early spring before the leaves expand — March in the wild, into May in cooler cultivated settings. They are followed by small obovate to orbicular samarae under 19 mm long with the seed positioned at or touching the apical notch.
What varieties of Japanese Elm exist?
Two infraspecific taxa are usually recognized: var. davidiana, restricted to China and characterized by a densely pubescent samara, and var. japonica (Japanese elm), more widely distributed across northeast Asia and Japan and sometimes treated as a separate species. Selected cultivars — 'Mitsui Centennial', 'Jacan', 'Thomson', 'Discovery', 'Freedom', 'Prospector', 'Validation', 'JFS-Bieberich', 'Reperta', 'Reseda', and Emerald Sunshine — have been bred mainly in North America and Canada for ornamental form and Dutch elm disease resistance.
How do you grow Japanese Elm outdoors?
The species performs well as a landscape and street tree on disturbed sites, in calciferous soils, and in moist or wet ground, and tolerates mild maritime climates with heavy winter rainfall. Var. japonica has been widely used as a street tree in northern Japan, and modern North American cultivars have been selected specifically for urban resilience and Dutch elm disease resistance.
How do you propagate Japanese Elm?
Fresh seed sown in a cold frame germinates within days; "green" seed harvested before drying tends to produce larger plants, while stored seed is sown in early spring. Vegetative options include layering of suckers or coppiced shoots.
What pests and diseases affect Japanese Elm?
Morton Arboretum and Oregon State both report good resistance to Dutch elm disease, elm leaf beetle, elm yellows (elm phloem necrosis), and leafminers, which is why the species is used as breeding stock for disease-resistant elms. Wikipedia notes that var. japonica shows only low to moderate Dutch elm disease resistance with susceptibility correlated to growth vigor, and is moderately susceptible to elm yellows even though it is resistant to elm leaf beetle.
How is Japanese Elm pollinated?
Flowers are perfect (bisexual), apetalous, and entirely wind-pollinated; pollen is shed in early spring before leaves expand.
Is Japanese Elm edible?
The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, young fruits are cooked, and the inner bark is dried and ground into a powder used as a soup thickener or extender for cereal flours. Plants For A Future rates the species at 2/5 for edibility — useful as a famine or supplemental food rather than a staple.
What are the medicinal uses of Japanese Elm?
The bark is described as diuretic, nervine, and purgative, and var. japonica is used in traditional Korean medicine for dysuria, swelling, rhinitis, and gastrointestinal inflammation, with recent research suggesting anti-inflammatory activity. Plants For A Future does not record medicinal use of the species (rating 0/5), so the medicinal record is largely confined to the Japanese variety and East Asian traditional practice.
What other uses does Japanese Elm have?
The inner bark yields a fiber that has been twisted into thread, ropes, and sandals or woven into coarse cloth, and the heavy, hard, tough wood — very durable when in contact with water — has been used historically for axles and hubs. Several cultivars are also widely planted as ornamental and street trees, especially in North America and northern Japan.
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