THE TRUE CHINESE ELM

TRUE CHINESE, OR LACEBARK ELM (NOTE MULTI-COLORED, FLAKNG BARK)

SMALL, HANDSOME LEAMES

SUNSET IN THE ORCHARD COUNTRY
( APPLE TREES IN THE FOREGROUND, RED OAKS IN THE BACKGROUND)

Thursday, 8:30 AM.  48 degrees F, wind SW, calm with stronger gusts.  The sky is overcast with considerable fog, and it is raining.  The humidity is 93% and we have gotten about .10" of rain since early morning.  The barometer is still trending down, now at 29.99" of mercury.
   We often eat a fast-food lunch in one of several fine lakefront parks when we are in Ashland, and I enjoy looking at their city trees.
   Ashland has a quite diverse street and park tree inventory, and I have come across some unusual trees, particularly for this far north.  Several days ago I spotted this true Chinese elm, also known as lacebark elm, Ulmus parvifolia, which should not be (but often is) confused with the Siberian elm, Ulmus pumila.  The former is a rather handsome small to medium sized tree with small, dark green leaves, a nice fall color and highly decorative exfoliating bark.  The later is a weedy, weak, fast-growing but drought resistant tree much subject to wind and winter damage.  Both are non-native, Asian species and subject to infection by Dutch elm disease, although the lacebark is highly resistant.
   U. parvifolia is hardy to zone five and can make a nice smaller park and street tree.  It is worth considering, particularly where urban tree diversity is under stress from insect and disease problems.  As I have stated before, urban conditions are extremely hostile to trees, and relying only on native species drastically reduces the species diversity necessary to maintain a healthy and beautiful street and park tree inventory.