Ulmus serotina

Ulmus serotina Sarg., the September elm, is an autumn-flowering North American species of tree. It is uncommon beyond Tennessee; only very locally distributed through Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alabama and Georgia, and disjunct into Nuevo León, Mexico.[2] It grows predominantly on limestone bluffs and along streams to elevations of 400 m.[3]

Ulmus serotina
Ulmus serotina, Cheekwood, Nashville, TN
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Ulmaceae
Genus: Ulmus
Subgenus: U. subg. Oreoptelea
Section: U. sect. Trichoptelea
Species:
U. serotina
Binomial name
Ulmus serotina
Generalized natural range of Ulmus serotina in the US
Synonyms
  • Ulmus divaricata C. H. Mull.
  • Ulmus multinervosa C. H. Mull.

Description

Rarely exceeding 20 m in height, the tree has a rounded crown with spreading to pendulous branches. The glabrous young shoots become progressively corky-winged with age, and bear oblong to obovate leaves <8 cm long. The wind-pollinated apetalous perfect flowers form pendulous racemes which open in September and serve to distinguish the species from its compatriot, the cedar elm U. crassifolia, with which it readily hybridizes. The samarae are oblong-elliptical, 1015 mm in length, deeply divided at the apex, and ripen in November .

Pests and diseases

The species is highly susceptible to Dutch elm disease.

Cultivation

Before the outbreak of Dutch elm disease, U. serotina enjoyed limited popularity as a shade-tree in the southern part of its range. The tree grows well on most soils but is intolerant of anaerobic or saline conditions; it is also frost-tolerant to - 30°C. (-23 F). The September elm is very rare in cultivation in Europe;[4] it was briefly propagated and marketed in the UK by the Hillier & Sons nursery, Winchester, Hampshire, from 1972 to 1977, when a total of 16 were sold.[5][6]It is not known to have been introduced to Australasia. There are no known cultivars of this taxon, nor is it known to be in commerce.

Notable trees

The US National Champion, measuring 25.5 m high in 2007, grows in Davidson County, Tennessee.[7]

Hybrids

  • Ulmus × arkansana

Accessions

North America
Europe

References

  1. IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group.; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; et al. (BGCI) (2020). "Ulmus serotina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T152858625A152905642. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T152858625A152905642.en. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  2. Todzia, C. A. & Panero, J. L. (1998), "A new species of Ulmus (Ulmaceae) from southern Mexico and a synopsis of the species in Mexico", Brittonia, 50: 343–347, doi:10.2307/2807778, JSTOR 2807778CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  3. Duncan, W. H., & Duncan, M. B. (2000). Trees of the Southeastern United States, 234238. Athens, Georgia, USA. ISBN 0-8203-2271-7
  4. Bean, W. J. (1981). Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain, 7th edition. Murray, London.
  5. Hillier & Sons (1977). Catalogue of Trees & Shrubs. Hillier, Ampfield, UK.
  6. Hillier & Sons Sales inventory 1962 to 1977 (unpublished).
  7. American Forests. (2012). The 2012 National Register of Big Trees.
  8. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. (2017). List of Living Accessions: Ulmus
  • "Ulmus serotina Sarg.". Herbarium catalogue. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
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