Smooth elm is pollinated by insects. Common types of elm. Economic importance and application

1. general description
2. Types of elms
3. Ordinary
4. Squat
5. Blade
6. Rough
7. Planting and care

The genus Elm contains more than 40 species, and Russian name These trees were given the name “elm” for their flexibility: baskets, rims and sleighs were knitted from their bast. Other names of the plant: elm, elm, birch bark. The geographical distribution range of elms is quite wide: its species grow in certain parts of North America, Europe, the Caucasus, Asia, and in areas with temperate and warm climates.

general description

Elms appeared on earth millions of years ago; they can be classified as relict tree species. In the area they are more often found in mixed and deciduous forests and can grow solitary. They love fertile and alkaline soils, tolerate a lack of sunlight well, and are able to create dense shade thanks to their dense crown.

Young elms have light brown, smooth bark; with age it darkens and becomes covered with deep longitudinal furrows, becoming rough and thick. Mature trees of many varieties look powerful, growing up to 40 m in length, and the trunks of some specimens reach a diameter of 2 m. There are also shrub species. Tree roots grow to great depths, and in podzolic soils they branch widely to the sides. Elm leaves are very beautiful: rough or smooth, ranging in size from 4 to 20 cm, rich bright or dark green, three-toothed, pointed towards the edges or oval, lined with relief stripes from the center to the sides, arranged alternately, almost closely on short cuttings. On the branches they form a kind of lace thanks to the relief pattern. The shadow provided by the spreading wide elm crowns is almost not illuminated by the sun. The leaves fade very early, acquiring a red-brown color and falling off in early autumn.

The elm tree blooms and bears fruit in April, even before the leaves appear. Its flowers are dioecious, inconspicuous, collected in small yellowish bunches. The fruits are small nuts surrounded by lionfish. On trees they ripen already with the first onset of warmth - in May. Carried by the wind throughout the area, the fruits fall into the soil and sprout within a few days.

Because of their gnarled, furrowed bark, elms are very often subject to attack by insect pests or fungus.

Types of elms

There are about 10 varieties of elm growing in Russia. Almost all of them are long-livers - capable of reaching an age of up to 250–300 years.

Ordinary

The common, or smooth, elm is widespread throughout the European part, in Western Siberia, in the Caucasus. Depending on the fertility of the soil, tree trunks rise from 10 to 25 m, their diameter is up to 1.5 m in old specimens. In urban conditions and on soils poor in nutrition, such elms are much lower and thinner. The bark is dark brown, textured, rough, and may peel off in small scales. The shoots form a wide elliptical crown. The leaves are up to 15 cm long and 10 cm wide, elongated, framed by sickle-shaped teeth. The front side is dark green, the back side is lighter, matte, slightly pubescent. Brown-violet small flowers bloom in April; after 7–12 days, small fruits with membranous lionfish form in their place. The common elm grows quite quickly, tolerates pruning well, and creates dense shade. It can be used for landscaping parks, alleys, and local areas.

Squat

Small-leaved, or squat, elm or simply elmovik lives up to its name. Compared to related giants, its maximum height is no more than 15 m, and often forms shrub forms. Distribution territories: Transbaikalia, Far East. Elmovik has thin branches, leaves are rounded, jagged, unequal at the base, pointed at the ends. Size - about 4–7 cm. In spring, the foliage of the squat elm is soft green and leathery. In summer it gets dark. The inflorescences are small, yellowish-brown in color. Ilmovik does not like heavily shaded areas, preferring bright places, but it creates a fairly thick shadow. It is unpretentious to soil composition and tolerates drought well.

Blade

One of the common Far Eastern species, for the original shape of its large leaves resembling sharp blades, is often called split. It grows mainly in high mountain areas. The tree trunks reach 25 m in height, the crown is cylindrical and very dense.

Rough

This species prefers fertile soils, does not tolerate highly saline soils, and is found in deciduous forests of Eastern and Western Europe. The trees are straight-trunked, with fairly smooth dark brown bark, up to 30-40 cm in height. The leaves are very large - about 17-20 cm, ovate, light green, rough on top, with a hard fleecy surface on the reverse side. The lifespan of the rough elm is up to 400 years.

Properties and uses of wood

In terms of density, dry elm wood is close to birch - 550–600 kg/m³. It has a beautiful noble texture with a pronounced natural pattern. The heartwood is light brown, the sapwood is pale yellow. Elm materials are characterized by high hardness, are resistant to rotting and deformation, and have high resistance to impact loads and compression.

Due to its high density, elm is difficult to saw, split and other types of processing, but bends quite well. The smooth surface of the material tolerates polishing well. Fresh timber practically does not crack or warp when dried.

Elm has long been used for the production of bows, wheel rims, rocker arms, and wooden parts of harnesses. Dishes were hollowed out from the massif. In London, Venice and other European cities, bridge supports were turned from elm wood, and it was used in the construction of river dams, locks, and the construction of mines and cellars.

Currently, elm is used more in the form of veneer, which increases artistic value and ennobles lower-quality wood species, or as part of combined materials for interior decoration.

Planting and care

Elm materials are used for the production of parquet, wooden frames, panels and handles, baseball bats, furniture parts, blanks and products that require bending.

• Growing an elm on a personal plot is not difficult. Moreover, this can be done with seeds, since they sprout very quickly - within a few days. The only drawback is that germination is quickly lost, so you should not miss the moment.

• After flowering, the seeds collected from the tree are placed in a moist nutrient substrate for several days. You can simply place them on soaked cotton wool. The embryos are immediately treated with a fungicide, otherwise the emerging fungus will be impossible to destroy. After 2–3 days, the germinated seeds are planted in a container with soil. It is better to use black soil for these purposes so that the plant develops faster.

• In the absence of nutritious soil, a mixture of humus and leaf soil is suitable. The soil must be loose and well moistened.

It is useful to expose the seedlings to the sun more often. Since elm seeds ripen in April-May, the period of their germination occurs at the end of spring - the beginning of the active growing season of most plants. In clear and little windy weather, it is better to leave the container with shoots outdoors: on the balcony, in the garden.

In the first year, elm shoots rise to 20 cm, in the second year they can be planted in open ground. In a similar way, ready-made cuttings or purchased seedlings are planted in spring or autumn.

Young elms are not capricious, undemanding to soil composition, temperature conditions or moisture content. However, in the first years they must be protected from strong winds and frosts by wrapping them in special agrofibre for the winter. It is worth remembering that the nutritional value of the soil directly affects the growth rate of trees, so it is advisable to periodically fertilize poor soils with organic matter. You also need to ensure that the soil around the roots is always well loosened.

In hot weather, additional watering will have to be introduced; with regular rains, even young shoots in open ground no special moisturizing is required.

Over the course of a year, elms grow 40–50 cm. Branches are usually not pruned in the first years, allowing the crown to grow properly. Only dry or diseased branches are removed. As the trees mature, the greenery can begin to be tamed, giving it an aesthetic appearance.

The most common pests of elm are elm springtail, scale insects, and leaf beetles. In diseased plants, foliage and branches quickly dry out, and the bark becomes covered with painful growths. Pests can be controlled using traditional methods: spraying trees with a solution of copper sulfate and other insecticides and fungicides.

Young trees can be easily rid of pests; adult trees are much more difficult to cure. Trees are particularly susceptible to fungal infections; for this reason, it is necessary to use fungicides as a preventative measure even at the planting stage.

This tree belongs to the elm family and grows in Europe, Scandinavia, Crimea, the Caucasus and England. It grows up to 25 meters in height and can live for about 300 years. It has a straight trunk up to 1.5 meters in diameter, covered with smooth, dark brown bark. It blooms from March to April, before the leaves bloom, with small, inconspicuous flowers with purple stamens. The fruits begin to ripen in May-June and look like rounded lionfish with a nut in the center. The elm bears fruit every year, starting at the age of seven. Frost-resistant, and can tolerate frosts down to -28 degrees. The tree has a powerful root system and grows quite quickly: in a year it grows 50 cm in height and up to 30 cm in width.

Historical information

The name smooth elm comes from the Celtic “elm”, which means elm. In Rus', this word was interpreted as a “flexible rod” and the wood of this tree was used for the production of carts and sleighs. Using the flexibility of elm, our ancestors used it as a good construction material, and also made weapons. This tree was used to make household utensils: arcs, shafts, knitting needles and much more.

The bark of the tree was used for tanning leather, and the bast of this tree was used to make bast. Leaves and young shoots were fed to livestock.

Breeding and care

Reproduction of smooth elm occurs mainly by seeds, occasionally by shoots from it. Seeds can be stored in a hermetically sealed container for 2 years and not lose their germination. Seeds are sown immediately after ripening within 1-2 weeks. In this case, no preliminary preparation is required. They are sown in rows with a pitch of 20-30 cm, covered with soil and watered abundantly. Elm is unpretentious to conditions and calmly tolerates excess moisture and its lack. Can grow in the shade, but develops better in good light.

In the first weeks after planting, the sown seeds should be watered abundantly, and in hot weather they should be covered with film until the first shoots appear. When planting an elm, you should take into account that it grows quickly and that soon its crown will shade other light-loving plants. It has been noticed that smooth elm has a depressing effect on grapes. In this regard, you should take into account their intolerance to each other and plant them away from each other.

Dutch disease of this tree is spread with the help of bark beetles. It is based on the fungus Ophiostoma ulmi and attacks weak trees. If damaged, the plant may die within a few weeks or suffer for many years.

Dutch disease is characterized by rapid drying of branches. On such branches the leaves either do not bloom at all or there are very few of them. When a tree is infected with this disease, it usually dies and cannot be saved. Basically, this disease progresses on heavily moist soils.

Pharmacological properties and use in medicine

Smooth elm contains substances that have astringent, diuretic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

Traditional medicine uses decoctions of the bark of this tree to treat inflammation. Bladder, inflammation of connective tissues, as well as swelling. In addition, it was used for various skin diseases, as well as for diseases of the digestive system, diarrhea. A decoction of elm leaves was used to treat colic and heal wounds that did not heal for a long time.

Infusions of elm bark, with the addition of birch buds and willow, help with fever and colds. This infusion has a lot of mucus (a product of cell secretion) and tannins, which have a beneficial effect on the human body for burns and dermatitis.

The bark and leaves of smooth elm are harvested as medicinal raw materials. The bark is harvested in the spring, when sap flow occurs, and the leaves in June, in dry weather. Typically, trees scheduled for felling are used for this purpose. The material prepared in this way is dried in places closed from direct sun rays. It can be used for 2 years. Decoctions and infusions are made from this medicinal raw material.

Smooth elm wood has a unique ability: it resists rotting for a long time at high humidity. This feature was widely used in Europe - pipes for water supply were made from elm trunks, hollowed out from the inside. During the construction of the first London Bridge, elm wood was used as supports.

This plant can be classified as an early honey plant. In good weather, you can see many bees collecting nectar near this tree.

Since elm has a powerful root system, it is used in protective plantings, in turn, securing plantings. In addition, its leaves retain much more dust than other trees, and it successfully takes its place in park plantings.

Articles on the topic

Majestic elms decorate the streets of many cities. A tree of the elm genus called Ulmus was widely known back in ancient times due to its unusual appearance and unpretentiousness to soil characteristics, but a lot has changed since then. As a result of significant deterioration of the ecological situation and a number of tree diseases, the number of elms in nature has decreased significantly. After reading this article, you will get a complete picture of what an elm tree looks like, learn about optimal conditions growth and care. This topic is quite relevant for the reason that today there are about 30 species of these trees growing in the world, a minority of which are found in Russia and countries that were formerly part of the USSR.

origin of name

The elm tree, the photo and description of which is presented in this article, is part of the elm genus. The modern name comes from the Celtic name "elm", which later spread throughout the world, having undergone minor changes. So, in German these trees are known as "Ulme", ​​and in Russia every separate species Ilma got his own name.

It is noteworthy that the most famous of them is the elm. The word literally translates as “flexible rod,” which fully corresponds to the structure of this tree.

Elm family

Elm (Ulmus) is a genus of large trees and shrubs, most of which sheds its leaves for the winter. Most known species They are large trees with rough, thick bark with deep cracks running through it. Cork growths can develop on the branches of most southern trees.

The root system is very strong. Individual roots can go so deep that they often reach the level of the leak. groundwater, and the mass lies in close proximity to the surface. Knowing what an elm looks like (photos of the tree and leaves are presented in this article), you can easily distinguish it from other trees in nature.

The leaves have a pointed shape with many denticles and falling stipules. The flowers are rather inconspicuous. Depending on the type of elm, they can be collected in bunches or capitate inflorescences. Pollination occurs mainly due to wind. As a result of a long process, a single-seeded fruit in a thin shell is set on the tree, often additionally protected by a lionfish.

Elm (tree): description

Smooth elm (common elm) is a deciduous tree that produces dense clusters of small green inflorescences as the weather warms. It is worth noting that the flower buds are much larger in size than the leaf buds and are brownish-brown shoots covered with a fairly thin glossy shell, which is subsequently covered with a network of cracks.

In most cases, the elm does not exceed 35 m in height and 1 m in diameter. The crown is dense, wide, cylindrical. The photo gives only an approximate idea of ​​what an elm tree looks like, however, after familiarizing yourself with the image, you can easily distinguish the elm from other trees in the forest or on city alleys.

Its leaves rarely exceed 15 cm in length. Their rich dark green color disappears with the onset of cold weather, and they acquire a yellow-brown tint. While the tree is in the active growth stage, its bark is quite thin and smooth, but the older the tree is, the rougher it becomes. Once the elm has fully matured, the rich gray-brown hue will be covered with many deep cracks.

Advantages of elm trees

Elm and ash trees easily get along even on difficult types of soil. They have excellent frost resistance, due to which they practically do not suffer even from severe frosts, and tolerate drought and dry air well. They can grow in conditions of highly salinized soil, but most fast growth observed if these trees grow in deep and loose soils.

Due to the fact that they are xerophytes, trees are extremely resistant to drought. Elms, along with maple, are indispensable in steppe afforestation. For example, in shelterbelt conditions they are used as the main accompanying species for a tree such as oak.

It is noteworthy that elm is successfully used in folk medicine as a basis for a variety of tinctures. At the same time, the plain elm (birch bark) has the greatest medicinal value.

Greening the city

When carrying out landscaping in cities, elms are planted as single trees (tapeworms) or in groups of 5-10 trees. In urban conditions, it develops a powerful spreading crown, which visually enlarges an already rather large tree.

In the spring (April - May), the tree attracts attention with its many flowers, the color of which is dominated by brown shades. In summer, elm boasts dark green leaves that effectively set off the light skins of the fruit, and in autumn it has a golden-yellow crown.

Elm is a tree that easily tolerates pruning and can be used as a hedge. Since about 12 species of elms grow in the territories of the post-Soviet space, within one city you can find several different forms of it, differing from each other not only in color, but also in the shape of the leaves.

Root system

The elm root system is so powerful that it can successfully compete even with oak roots. Not only the main taproot, through which the tree receives its main supply of nutrients, penetrates into the soil to a sufficiently great depth, but also the lateral ones. It is this property that makes it possible to ensure significant stability of the tree even in strong winds.

For example, when planting on shelterbelts, they restrain the main gusts of wind, allowing you to obtain full-fledged crop yields, the ripened seeds of which practically do not fall to the ground.

Features of elms

Elm is a tree that, when planted on fertile soil, spreads its roots over a considerable distance, due to which they sometimes reach the groundwater level, providing the plant with nutrients even in severe drought conditions.

Elm propagates by seeds, which must be planted in the soil immediately after ripening (late May). If planting is delayed for any reason, the seeds lose their quality and are no longer suitable for sowing. With sufficient soil moisture, the germination process takes no more than 1 week.

Young trees grow in all directions and resemble bushes in their shape. This happens because they have initial stage growth, there is no vertical shoot from which the trunk is formed. However, with age, its shape evens out, and the bush becomes more and more like a tree.

It is noteworthy that a fully formed tree begins to bear fruit 10-12 years after germination.

Elm tree: photo and description

Although the genus Ulmus includes about 30 species of trees, the most famous of them are the following.

1. Common elm (Ulmus laevis) differs from other species in its very elastic and flexible wood, which is practically impossible to polish. Widely used in the manufacture of durable impact-resistant products.
2. Mountain elm, or rough elm (Ulmus glabra) is very similar to elm in flexibility, but its wood is much stronger. Unlike ordinary elm, it is quite demanding on the soil, does not tolerate drought well and is damaged by frost.
3. Elm (Ulmus laciniata).
4. Birch bark (Ulmus carpinifolia), the main positive quality which is the ability long time maintain the shape created during the bending process. Most often it grows in open areas.
5. Valley elm (Ulmus japonka) stands out among other representatives of the genus with its height, often exceeding 40 m. In arid areas it grows crooked and rarely exceeds a height of 12-15 m. It tolerates drought well.
6. Pristovet vista (Ulmus pumila) is widely used in landscaping and protective afforestation throughout the world.
7. Elm (Ulmus androsowit) is a fairly branched tree with a wide crown that provides dense shade. Thanks to these qualities, it has become one of the most popular trees in the south.
8. Smooth elm is a tree (photo presented in this article), which is most often found in the North Caucasus, Transbaikalia and Far East.

Features of growth and care

Elm is a tree whose seedlings grow quite quickly, increasing in height by more than 1 m annually.

The process of intensive growth continues for 13-15 years, after which it begins to gradually slow down. After the tree reaches the half-century mark, practically no increase in height is observed, and at the age of 100 years it stops completely.

Elm wood is strong and quite elastic, relatively light, due to which it is widely used in the furniture industry.

Pure elm groves are extremely rare. As a rule, they include a large number of various trees.

Elm forests

Elm is a tree whose photo can be taken on the alleys of any city. Regardless of its species, it grows best in fertile soil with good drainage. Two-story elm forests with small admixtures of other trees are widespread from Europe to Asia.

In Russia, the total length of such forests is about 500,000 hectares, but unlike European elm forests, they are not only single-tiered, but also include a large number of different trees.

Elm forests have high industrial value. Felling in them is most often carried out during the period of fruit ripening, which ensures constant replenishment of new trees.

Diseases

Today, there are many diseases that affect elm trees, but the most widespread among them is Dutch disease. It is a fungus transmitted by the elm bark beetle. Its spores penetrate deep into the wood structure, first weakening and then completely destroying the tree. After infection, the leaves on young shoots begin to turn yellow and fall off.

Dutch disease poses the greatest threat to elm forests, causing them to dry out. For example, in the last century, most of all elms in England died from this disease, and now the disease has spread throughout the entire range of elm trees. The most susceptible to this disease are smooth elm and birch bark, and the most resistant is small-leaved elm.

Elm belongs to the Elm family. This is a large tree with a spreading dense crown, found in Europe, North America, Asia in the temperate zone, also in tropical Asia in the mountains. Latin name Ulmus comes from the Celtic name for this tree - elm. In Russian there are several names for the plant: elm, elm, birch bark, ilmovik, but usually these are names different types. There are a total of 16 species of this genus.

What does an elm look like?

Elm is a large tree with an elliptical or rounded crown. The branches are spreading, with dense foliage. The leaves are simple, large, alternate, often unequal. The plant blooms before the leaves bloom. The flowers are inconspicuous, small, collected in bunches. The nut-shaped fruits are winged and ripen several weeks after the flowering period. The seeds lose their viability quite quickly. Elm wood is hard, similar to European walnut, and is considered a valuable species.

Elm provides dense shade, but loves sunny places. At a young age it grows quickly, especially if the soil is fresh, fertile, and loose.

Tolerant of drought conditions and tolerates pruning easily.

Photo gallery

Common types of elm

• English (Ulmus procera Salisb) grows in South and Western Europe. Distributed in deciduous and mixed forests, in river valleys, floodplains on rich soils.

  The tree grows up to 50 m. It has high winter hardiness.

  

• Androsov's elm (Ulmus x androssowii Litv)- a hybrid between squat and bush elms. Many classify it as a variety of squat elm. The tree reaches 20 m, has a very dense crown in the shape of a tent. The bark is gray, on young shoots it is yellowish or ashy. The leaves are rounded-ovate, pointed towards the apex, grow on fluffy cuttings 1 cm long. The winged fruits are angular-round, 2.5 cm long.

  The species is winter-hardy and requires soils with moderate moisture, although it tolerates aridity quite well. It grows quickly and reproduces by seeds. Often used in park construction, it is beautiful in group plantings and in single ones. Also used as living, unclipped hedges.

• Common elm is also called smooth elm (Ulmus laevisPall). It grows naturally in the European part of Russia, Western Siberia, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, and Western Europe. It prefers rich soils and usually grows in deciduous forests.

  Grows up to 25 m, has a beautiful elliptical wide crown. The branches are thin and drooping. Young shoots are fluffy, becoming smooth and shiny as they mature. The bark is light brown, in mature trees it darkens, becomes brownish-brown and peels off in thin plates. The leaves are oblong, pointed, unequal at the base. The edges of the leaves are sickle-toothed. The leaves are dark green above, light green below. The lower part of the leaves is soft-hairy, the upper part is bare. In autumn, the color changes to brownish-purple tones. The flowers are small, brownish, with purple protruding stamens. Peduncles are long, descending. The elm blooms for 10 days, after which winged fruits with cilia along the edge are formed.

  

  The common elm is a long-liver, living up to 300 years. It grows quickly, tolerates pruning well, and keeps its crown shape. In urban conditions it grows slowly, especially on poor, dry soils. Early leaf fall and crown drying may occur. Compact soils and asphalt paving also retard elm growth. Does not like shading by buildings, dust, or soil salinity.

  It is used in single and group plantings and looks beautiful in alleys.

• Hornbeam (Ulmus carpinifolia Rupp. ex Suckow) found in the Caucasus, Central Asia, European part of Russia, North Africa, Kazakhstan, Western Europe. Grows in broad-leaved forests in sunny places.

  The elm reaches 20 m in height, it has a dense spreading crown, reaching 10 m in diameter.

  The branches are thin, dark brown, and have corky growths. The leaves are dark green, dense, unequal, shiny. Shape and size vary. The leaves are bare above and covered with sparse hairs below. In autumn the foliage turns bright yellow. It blooms before the leaves bloom; small flowers are reddish-red, collected in spherical bunches. Lionfish fruits are 2 cm long.

  A very winter-hardy tree, quite salt-tolerant. It is undemanding to soil, although active growth is observed in nutritious, moist soils.

  Forms dense living hedges and walls and is used in the design of gardens, squares, and parks.

• Thick (Ulmus densa Litv) distributed in wildlife in Central Asia. It is a tall, up to 30 m, tree with a dense, wide, pyramidal, low-slung crown. The bark on young shoots is yellow-brown or gray, on old branches it is dark. The leaves are leathery, oblong-ovate, either bare or pubescent.

  An unpretentious tree, drought-resistant, so it is excellent for landscaping the southern European part of Russia for single plantings, creating alleys and compositions.

  

• Lobed (Ulmus laciniata (Trautv.) Mayr) grows in East Asia and the Far East. Located in coniferous-deciduous mixed forests. This tree is shade-tolerant and quite frost-resistant. Good for use in decorative landscaping.
• Pinnate Elm also called Pinnately branched elm And Euonymus (Ulmus pinnato-ramosa Dieck). Grows in the wild in Kazakhstan, the Far East, Eastern Siberia and East Asia. It usually grows on pebbles, sands, gravelly screes, and is found in open forests and valley forests. Loves lighted places and is salt tolerant.

  The tree grows up to 15 m. The crown is openwork, spreading in young trees, oval in adults. The branches are thin, flexible, drooping, grayish-pubescent. Small leaves are elliptical in shape, smooth, sometimes symmetrical, dark green in summer, turning yellow in autumn. The leaves are arranged in two rows, so the shoots look covered with large feathery leaves, for this reason the name was given to the species. The flowers are small, collected in bunches.

  The pinnate elm is quite winter-hardy and freezes slightly in severe winters. Resistant to drought, undemanding to soil. It grows very quickly. But trees reach large sizes only in the southern regions on well-moistened soils. Tolerant to urban conditions, asphalting, street dust, smoke. Beautiful in decorative plantings, but does not provide street shade. You can form a more compact and dense crown by pruning.

• Squat Elm also called small-leaved, Ilmovik (Ulmus pumila L). It grows in the wild in the Far East, northern Mongolia, Japan, Korea, and Transbaikalia.

  Found in deciduous and mixed forests, prefers fertile soils.

  Low, grows up to 15 m, sometimes grows as a shrub with a dense, rounded crown. The branches are thin, young pubescent. The leaves are small, elliptical, leathery, with a sharp short apex, somewhat unequal.

  In spring the leaves are green, Bottom part leaf is light green. The leaves darken in summer and turn olive-yellow in autumn. Flowers are collected in small bunches. The winged seeds are ocher or yellow-brown. Winter hardiness is average, this species is light-loving, unpretentious to the soil, its richness and moisture.

  Squat elm is drought-resistant and tolerates shaping and pruning well. Develops in urban environments.

  This species easily tolerates replanting and is very good for landscaping in arid areas. The undoubted advantage of elm is the absence of root suckers; this is a wonderful quality for garden and park construction. It is used in landscaping new buildings, creating trimmed hedges, and street plantings.

  

• Related elm has a second name - Japanese birch bark (Ulmus propinqua Koidz = U. japonica(Rehder) Sarg). Grows in eastern Transbaikalia, Mongolia, Japan, Northern China, and the Far East. Distributed in cedar-broad-leaved valley forests.

  This type of elm is a large plant up to 35 m in height, beautiful, with a regular, even, straight trunk, a wide spreading crown, and quite dense.

  The bark is whitish on the trunk, brown on the shoots, smooth or with corky growths, it looks beautiful when the plant is not covered with foliage.

  Young shoots have a dense edge and dark brown buds. The obovate leaves have an unequal base and grow on a short petiole. The leaves are rough-pubescent on top and fluffy underneath. In spring the foliage is green, in summer it darkens, in autumn it is brownish-red, dark crimson, brown-chestnut, the leaves are whitish below. The flowers are small, reddish, collected in bunches. The winged seeds are yellow-brown in color.

  Japanese birch bark grows faster than other elms and tolerates shading, frost, and urban conditions. Propagated by root suckers and seeds. Good for landscaping cities, parks, green buildings. Particularly beautiful in autumn.

IPNI TPL

Smooth elm, or ordinary(lat. Ulmus laevis) - deciduous tree, species of the genus Elm ( Ulmus) family Elm ( Ulmaceae).

Distribution and ecology

Smooth elm grows throughout almost the entire territory of Europe (with the exception of the Iberian Peninsula and the British Isles), in the Caucasus, Asia Minor and the Urals (Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk regions), as well as in Kazakhstan. In the north it reaches southeastern Sweden (Öland island), southern Finland, the southern regions of the Republic of Karelia, the Arkhangelsk region (in the Arkhangelsk region it penetrates beyond 63° N, reaching the northernmost tip of its range), the Komi Republic.

Botanical description

A tree up to 40 meters high with a wide-cylindrical, slightly rounded crown, living up to 200-250 years. At a young age it grows very quickly, after 40-50 years its growth slows down. The trunk of an old elm can reach a meter in diameter. The branches are thick, directed upward. The bark is brownish-brown, cracking, and peels off in thin sheets. At the base of the trunk of large trees, flat, board-shaped roots are sometimes formed, serving as additional support. The shoots are light brown, shiny, sometimes with a gray coating and lentils.

Economic importance and application

Smooth elm is used in protective plantings and urban landscaping. This species is more frost-resistant than other elms, drought-resistant and tolerates slight soil salinity. It is demanding on soils, but in plantings it is found on a wide variety of soils, with the exception of highly saline ones, where it is short-lived and dries out quickly. In urban conditions it tolerates soil compaction, but with insufficient watering and heavy asphalt of the streets it will dry out. Resistant to dust and air pollution.

In favorable springs it is valuable as an early honey plant and pollen plant.

Dutch elm disease

Like many other elm species, smooth elm is susceptible to a dangerous disease known as Dutch elm disease. Fungal spores are carried by bark beetles and some leaf-eating insects, as well as through contaminated wood and sawdust. The fight against Dutch disease is carried out through sanitary felling, removing the remains of trees at the felling site, and destroying insects that carry the disease. Injecting antibiotics into the tree trunk is also considered an effective method.

Taxonomy

View Smooth elm belongs to the genus Elm ( Ulmus) family Elm ( Ulmaceae) order Rosaceae ( Rosales).

8 more families (according to APG II System)

about 40 more species

order Rosaceae

genus Elm

Department Flowering or Angiosperms

family Elm

view Smooth elm

44 more orders of flowering plants (according to APG II System)

about 9 more births

Synonyms

• Ulmus celtidea Litv.
• Ulmus effusa Willd.
• Ulmus pedunculata Foug.
• Ulmus simplicidens E.Wolf

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Notes

Literature

• Genus 1. Ulmus L. - Elm, Elm or Berest // / Ed. volumes by S. Ya. Sokolov. - M.-L. : Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1951. - T. II. Angiosperms. - pp. 498-500. - 612 s. - 2500 copies.
• // Flora of the USSR: in 30 volumes / ch. ed. V. L. Komarov. - M.-L.
• : Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1936. - T. V / ed. volumes V. L. Komarov. - P. 363. - 762 + XXVI p. - 5175 copies. 439. Gubanov, I. A. et al. Ulmus laevis

Pall. - Smooth elm // . - M.: Scientific T. ed. KMK, Institute of Technology. research, 2003. - T. 2. Angiosperms (dicotyledonous: separate-petalled). - P. 37. - ISBN 9-87317-128-9.

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Excerpt characterizing Smooth Elm
Natasha looked at Sonya with big, open eyes, as if not understanding her question.
- Well, are you refusing Prince Andrei? - said Sonya.
“Oh, you don’t understand anything, don’t talk nonsense, just listen,” Natasha said with instant annoyance.
“No, I can’t believe it,” Sonya repeated. - I don't understand. How did you love one person for a whole year and suddenly... After all, you only saw him three times. Natasha, I don’t believe you, you’re being naughty. In three days, forget everything and so...
“Three days,” Natasha said. “It seems to me that I have loved him for a hundred years.” It seems to me that I have never loved anyone before him. You can't understand this. Sonya, wait, sit here. – Natasha hugged and kissed her.
“They told me that this happens and you heard correctly, but now I have only experienced this love.” It's not what it used to be. As soon as I saw him, I felt that he was my master, and I was his slave, and that I could not help but love him. Yes, slave! Whatever he tells me, I will do. You don't understand this. What should I do? What should I do, Sonya? - Natasha said with a happy and frightened face.
“But think about what you’re doing,” said Sonya, “I can’t leave it like that.” These secret letters... How could you let him do this? - she said with horror and disgust, which she could hardly hide.
“I told you,” Natasha answered, “that I have no will, how can you not understand this: I love him!”
“Then I won’t let this happen, I’ll tell you,” Sonya screamed with tears breaking through.
“What are you doing, for God’s sake... If you tell me, you are my enemy,” Natasha spoke. - You want my misfortune, you want us to be separated...
- But what happened between you? – she asked. -What did he tell you? Why doesn't he go to the house?
Natasha did not answer her question.
“For God’s sake, Sonya, don’t tell anyone, don’t torture me,” Natasha begged. – You remember that you cannot interfere in such matters. I opened it for you...
– But why these secrets! Why doesn't he go to the house? – Sonya asked. - Why doesn’t he directly seek your hand? After all, Prince Andrei gave you complete freedom, if that’s the case; but I don't believe it. Natasha, have you thought about what secret reasons there could be?
Natasha looked at Sonya with surprised eyes. Apparently, this was the first time she had asked this question and she didn’t know how to answer it.
– I don’t know what the reasons are. But there are reasons!
Sonya sighed and shook her head in disbelief.
“If there were reasons...” she began. But Natasha, guessing her doubt, interrupted her in fear.
- Sonya, you can’t doubt him, you can’t, you can’t, do you understand? – she shouted.
– Does he love you?
- Does he love you? – Natasha repeated with a smile of regret about her friend’s lack of understanding. – You read the letter, did you see it?
- But what if he is an ignoble person?
– Is he!... an ignoble person? If only you knew! - Natasha said.
“If he is a noble man, then he must either declare his intention or stop seeing you; and if you don’t want to do this, then I will do it, I will write to him, I will tell dad,” Sonya said decisively.
- Yes, I can’t live without him! – Natasha screamed.
- Natasha, I don’t understand you. And what are you saying! Remember your father, Nicolas.
“I don’t need anyone, I don’t love anyone but him.” How dare you say that he is ignoble? Don't you know that I love him? – Natasha shouted. “Sonya, go away, I don’t want to quarrel with you, go away, for God’s sake go away: you see how I’m suffering,” Natasha shouted angrily in a restrained, irritated and desperate voice. Sonya burst into tears and ran out of the room.
Natasha went to the table and, without thinking for a minute, wrote that answer to Princess Marya, which she could not write the whole morning. In this letter, she briefly wrote to Princess Marya that all their misunderstandings were over, that, taking advantage of the generosity of Prince Andrei, who, when leaving, gave her freedom, she asks her to forget everything and forgive her if she is guilty before her, but that she cannot be his wife . It all seemed so easy, simple and clear to her at that moment.

On Friday the Rostovs were supposed to go to the village, and on Wednesday the count went with the buyer to his village near Moscow.
On the day of the count's departure, Sonya and Natasha were invited to a big dinner with the Karagins, and Marya Dmitrievna took them. At this dinner, Natasha again met with Anatole, and Sonya noticed that Natasha was saying something to him, wanting not to be heard, and throughout the dinner she was even more excited than before. When they returned home, Natasha was the first to begin with Sonya the explanation that her friend was waiting for.
“You, Sonya, said all sorts of stupid things about him,” Natasha began in a meek voice, the voice that children use when they want to be praised. - We explained it to him today.
- Well, what, what? Well, what did he say? Natasha, how glad I am that you are not angry with me. Tell me everything, the whole truth. What did he say?
Natasha thought about it.
- Oh Sonya, if only you knew him like I do! He said... He asked me about how I promised Bolkonsky. He was glad that it was up to me to refuse him.
Sonya sighed sadly.
“But you didn’t refuse Bolkonsky,” she said.
- Or maybe I refused! Maybe it's all over with Bolkonsky. Why do you think so badly of me?
- I don’t think anything, I just don’t understand it...
- Wait, Sonya, you will understand everything. You will see what kind of person he is. Don't think bad things about me or him.
– I don’t think anything bad about anyone: I love everyone and feel sorry for everyone. But what should I do?
Sonya did not give in to the gentle tone with which Natasha addressed her. The softer and more searching the expression on Natasha’s face, the more serious and stern Sonya’s face was.
“Natasha,” she said, “you asked me not to talk to you, I didn’t, now you started it yourself.” Natasha, I don't believe him. Why this secret?
- Again, again! – Natasha interrupted.
– Natasha, I’m afraid for you.
- What to be afraid of?
“I’m afraid that you will destroy yourself,” Sonya said decisively, herself frightened by what she said.
Natasha's face again expressed anger.
“And I will destroy, I will destroy, I will destroy myself as quickly as possible.” None of your business. It will feel bad not for you, but for me. Leave me, leave me. I hate you.
- Natasha! – Sonya cried out in fear.
- I hate it, I hate it! And you are my enemy forever!
Natasha ran out of the room.
Natasha no longer spoke to Sonya and avoided her. With the same expression of excited surprise and criminality, she walked around the rooms, taking up first this or that activity and immediately abandoning them.
No matter how hard it was for Sonya, she kept an eye on her friend.
On the eve of the day on which the count was supposed to return, Sonya noticed that Natasha had been sitting all morning at the living room window, as if expecting something, and that she made some kind of sign to a passing military man, whom Sonya mistook for Anatole.
Sonya began to observe her friend even more carefully and noticed that Natasha was in a strange and unnatural state all the time during lunch and evening (she answered questions asked to her at random, started and did not finish sentences, laughed at everything).