Trees🌿 Native to the NetherlandsVery hardy — tolerates frost down to -25°C

European White Elm

Ulmus laevis

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European White Elm (Ulmus laevis) is a native elm species that grows into a large, broad tree. The species naturally occurs along streams, rivers, moist deciduous forests, ravine forests, hedges, hollow roads and river-accompanying forest edges. European White Elm is recognizable by the very skewed leaf base, soft hairiness on the underside of young leaves and the long-stalked flowers and fruits. In March and April, European White Elm blooms with small, inconspicuous greenish to purple-brown flowers, before or during the sprouting of the leaf. After flowering, almost round winged nutlets form with a finely hairy edge. European White Elm grows best on moist, nutrient-rich, loam-rich or clay-rich soil and is suitable for large gardens, landscape planting, forest edges, avenues and natural bank planting.

Year calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
🌸Blooms
🐝Provides nectar
🍓Bears fruit
🍂Has autumn colour

Pruning period

✂️Best pruning period: Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
✂️ Pruning period

Best pruning period

Prune European White Elm as little as possible. Remove only dead, damaged or unwanted branches during winter dormancy. Avoid large pruning wounds; the tree comes into its own best with a natural crown form.

Botanical profile

Site & soil

Sun, Half shade

Soil type: Clay, Sand, Humus-rich, Loam

Moisture need: Moderately moist, Moist, Wet / marshy

pH: Slightly acidic (5.5–6.5), Chalky (>7.5), Neutral (6.5–7.5)

Nutrient richness: Moderately nutrient-rich, Nutrient-rich

Humus content: Moderately humus-rich, Humus-rich

Water drainage: Well draining, Moisture-retentive, Poorly draining

Appearance & season

Mature height: 2000-3500cm

Bloom: Mar-Apr

Autumn colour: Yellow to yellow-brown. The ornamental value lies mainly in the large crown, skewed elm leaves, long-stalked fruits and natural forest tree form.

Properties

Salt sensitive: Yes

Edible: No

Scent: The flowers have no strong or conspicuous scent. European White Elm is mainly wind-pollinated and attracts few flower visitors.

Ecological value

European White Elm is valuable as a large native structural tree for forests, banks and landscape planting. The tree provides nesting, shade, dead-wood value and living space for insects, birds, fungi, mosses and lichens. The leaf is used by various caterpillars and leaf-eating insects. The flowers are mainly wind-pollinated and are not an important nectar source. The winged nutlets ripen early in the year and can be spread by wind and water. European White Elm is extra interesting because the species in practice often has less trouble from Dutch elm disease than many other elms, because elm bark beetles are less attracted to this species.

Food web & Biodiversity

🐛 Caterpillars & mothsVery useful

🐝 Bees & bumblebeesLimited

🪰 HoverfliesUseful

🦋 ButterfliesVery useful

🪲 Beetles & insectsExtremely useful

🐦 BirdsVery useful

🐿️ MammalsVery useful

🐞 Other animalsVery useful

European White Elm is especially valuable as a large, strong native tree for moist, nutrient-rich sites. The species provides plenty of structure, leaf food for insects and nesting for birds, but is not a nectar tree.

Distribution in the Netherlands