PlantFiles: Siberian Elm
Ulmus pumila

This is a qualified "positive" rating. I originally planted a row of six trees four years ago as bird cover near my gardens. They serve this purpose very well, having grown tall and thick during this period (about 20 feet tall.) They will grow in practically any soil type, including compacted clay; require no special care; and are drought-tolerant. They can also be pruned severely to control their height. The negatives include a shallow root system which allowed the young trees to heel over in a hurricane two years ago. But since then, due to their fast growth, these trees have largely righted themselves. Branches are also subject to breakage in high winds. Overall a good choice for very specific needs and the right habitat. My trees provide excellent cover for feeder birds in the winter, food sources for migrating birds in spring and fall, and nest sites during the summer. They also attract and support large numbers of ladybird beetles which are useful in other areas of the garden as well. In regard to the potential seed germination problem: I also have free-roaming chickens-hence, no problem.

I have two adult specimens of this tree in or near my yard. Every spring, they produce and drop literally billions of little papery "coins" that cover the ground in a papery goo after it rains.

Each one of those confounded coins is viable, and every time I turn the soil to plant something, I have to pull dozens of treelings a few days later.

Before I knew what the coins were, I tilled them into a flowerbed, planted seeds, and then couldn't find my seedlings because the elms were growing as thick as grass, I kid you not.

The branches are indeed brittle and can't hold up to a good wind or snowfall. My yard is constantly littered with twigs. The trees themselves often develop multiple trunks, each one weak and unsightly. Had I the money to root them out, I'd do it in a red-hot second. Right after I get rid of all the Trees of H#ll, which are first on the list for extermination.

Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila is Naturalized in Texas and other States and is considered an invasive plant in Texas.

Tree is inferior in all regards to the red and american elm. But.....I like this species. It doesn't die from DED like the previously mentioned two, and will attain 3' diameter in its lifetime more likely than them, also.

Never grow this tree! It is invasive, reseed itself heavily, is often seen on roadside and in open areas. It is coarse texture with small leaves and lots of branchlets. It self sow all over my yard, the number two seedling with ash and maple tied for number 1. It is rated zone 4 hardy and the branches are brittle. It grows fast. I have one that grow just on the neighbor side of the fence in a row of lilac bushes. It grew rapidly, in six or seven years already larger than the burr oak nearby. In nasty winds, the entire tree shakes and always seem to be ready to snap!

Siberian elm was a very popular tree to plant in central Oklahoma in the drought-ridden 1950's, but is not used much in landscaping here nowadays. It is able to withstand the extremes of heat and cold, but seldom has a very attractive form. It is actually kind of a "weedy" species. The wood is soft and brittle and branches and twigs often litter the ground after a high wind. It is fast-growing and provides useful shade, but American elm is probably a better choice in most cases.

These trees grow about 5' a year. They have good, dark green leaves and provide usable shade in a couple years.The bugs don't seem to bother them. The wood is not as dense as the slower growing trees.