PlantFiles: Chinese Elm, Lacebark Elm
Ulmus parvifolia

This is a highly invasive tree that sends out runners and sprouts. My neighbor had one in his yard and cut it down. In my yard I still have many sprouts growing that came up from his tree, despite my active and laborious removal of them. The sprouts quickly grow into trees. Be warned!

Planted one as a street tree, after 2 years of rooting it really took off last year and has nearly doubled in height after 4 years. I only watered it the first year, but I do fertilize with tree spikes every spring. It tolerates our poor clay soil, humid summers and winter road salt melt well. The bark is really neat. I have a zoysia lawn so no worries about seedlings. In the fall, one windy day and all the leaves are gone down the street, have yet to rake 1 leaf. A great tree-go plant one.

Our Lace Bark Elm tree has been wonderful. We're in OKC, and, it hasn't leafed out yet this year--we were puzzled. As many of you know, we had an unusual, relentless cold. snowy, and, moist winter. Generally, until now, it's certainly been moist since the summer of last year.

The tree has tiny buds now that seem to multiply daily; the small twigs they're on are very brittle, though. We see green in small branches, however. It hasn't been very warm yet at night (given spring storms and cold fronts); I think freezing is over, though.

I didn't want to do this, yet, my mother (whom I consider an expert on flowers and shrubs) said to water the tree "separately" with small sprinkler--I obliged. The ground is saturated now: Her stock answer (until now) still was to water. Finally, she sees (perhaps finally) the need for a new approach. Usually, it's dry here in the winter and summer (fire danger/burn bans), so, that may explain her love affair with H2O for her plant problems.

Spring in OKC generally has the really violent weather--with common deluges. So, to some extent I'm glad that the tree doesn't have leaves right now--naturally, the tree does better in our horribly strong winds without them. The trunk is a good size--the tree has been very sturdy. I've had to prune a few unruly branches over the years (with this 9+ years old tree)--no big deal.

The little leaves (a "miniature" version of elm leaves) are a pain in the fall, yet, they do disintegrate far better than large Bradford Pear and Oak leaves--unusual moisture helps, of course. Saplings will pop-up but aren't that big a problem. Anyway, I noted a warning not to over-water the Lace Bark Elm--that's good to know! I deduce that that's our problem....

Update 06/06/10: A tree guy looked at it and thinks it's dead. He'll come in a week to remove it--it's likely 30ft. tall. I'm shocked! I can't believe this! I think that I'll plant an oak....

Planted this tree last fall. It's growing well. Not bothered by heat, did not suffer it's first summer. It grew about 2 feet, and is about 12 feet tall. Peeling bark looks nice on older trees. Will make a good shade tree in a few years.

My lacebark elm grew rapidly in the Dallas, Texas area. It is a good shade tree and is beautiful if trimmed yearly. I have not had problems with baby elms sprouting up, but the tree's small leaf size and abundance of blossoms create a large amount of debris to clear up each year. One year I left everything on the ground and my grass died. I clean it every year now and replaced my Bermuda grass with St. Augustine. My garden is once again in balance.

Have two large ones in the yard that came with the house, very invasive. Seedlings pop up everywhere in the yard faster than I can yank them.

i enjoy the sight of this plant, great bonsai,even for me, not invasive here, far less common than natural trees such as maple and oak.

I've seen this tree in nursuries.It is a very pretty tree,however it is from Asia and I do worry about it becoming another exotic invasive.I would have to be convinced it doesn't spread easily before I would plant it.

Commonly grown landscape plant all over Southern California showing its preferred temperature range goes up to easily 10b (can't comment on 11 since we don't go up that high here). Had one in the yard for years and it was a weed problem... little elms popping up everywhere. I can't give it a negative, though, as the weeds were easy to yank and it was a nice looking tree.. a bit too common here, though... if well pruned is an excellent specimen tree.