Plant: Green Vase - Zelkova Tree

Plant description

A large deciduous shade tree selected for a tighter, more narrowly vase shaped canopy than the species, with ascending branches that recall the American elm. Simple serrate leaves 1 to 3 inches long are dark green through summer and turn a mix of orange, bronze and red in fall, over light gray bark that grows mottled and slightly exfoliating with age. It wants full sun and a moist, well drained soil but accepts clay, sand and a wide pH range, and once established it tolerates heat, drought, wind and urban conditions. Resistant to Dutch elm disease, it is used as a lawn shade tree and specimen where a broad vase form has room to develop.

Flowers

Small green flowers under an inch across open in spring with the emerging leaves and are not ornamentally significant.

Foliage

Simple alternate leaves are elliptical to ovate, 1 to 3 inches long, sharply serrate, dark green in summer and turning a mix of orange, bronze and red in fall.

Fruit

The fruit is a small green to brown drupe carried in summer, of little ornamental value.

Bark & stems

Bark is light gray to grayish brown and smooth when young, marked with numerous lenticels, and becomes more mottled and slightly exfoliating with age.

Native range

China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Taiwan

Plant details