Arkansas Tree Database

Winged Elm, Cork Elm

Winged Elm, Cork Elm

Scientific name:

Ulmus Alata

Size:

45' tall by 45' wide

Leaves:

alternate, simple, 1.5"-3.5" long, double-toothed, pointed at the tip; dark green and smooth above, pale and downy beneath

Flowers:

small cluster, inconspicuous

Fruit:

small, oval, wafer-shaped, called a samara, purplish brown, giving tree a lavender color; early spring

Fall Interest:

occasionally yellow; deciduous

Culture:

sun to partial sun; tolerant of dry sites and very adaptable

Disease/Insect:

Dutch elm disease, a fungus introduced about 1930 and spread by elm bark beetles

Use:

shade tree

Cultivars:

Notes:

bark thin, reddish brown to gray, developing shallow and irregular furrows with flat scaly ridges; often but not always flat corky "wings" on stems; butterfly larval host; native to Arkansas

Resources:

https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/winged-elm-11-10-06.aspx

Click thumbnail to enlarge images

Winged elm bark on trunk of mature tree Winged elm twig with wings Winged elm branches with wings Winged elm branch with wings Winged elm flower Winged elm leaves, showing alternate arrangement and double-toothed margins Winged elm leaves, showing alternate arrangement, double-toothed margins, and winged twig Winged elm fruit called a samara Winged elm twig with buds, without wings Winged elm twig with buds, without wings Winged elm branches with wings