A mature Chinese Elm grows in our front yard. It must be over 40 feet tall, and its long tails of small leaves provide wonderful dappled light and shade all through the day. Its nearby neighbor is the oak, and together they provide deep shade that cools our home in summer. Both trees came with the property, and were probably planted by the original owners.
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| Chinese Elm |
Chinese elm or Lacebark elm (Ulmus parvifolia) is native to eastern Asia, including China, Taiwan, Japan, North and South Korea, and Vietnam. It is a small-to-medium tree that grows to 60 feet tall, with a mottled trunk of grays, browns and red. The single-toothed leaves are leathery and small. Here in the Bay Area the leaves are retained throughout the year, but in Europe and other places in North America they are typically dropped. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, and the fruit is a samara with a seed in the center.
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| Chinese elm and its oak companion |
Our tree is infected with Anthracnose, a fungal disease that causes lesions on leaves, cankers on twigs and stems, and distorted limbs. When the disease infects the bark and encircles a branch, it dies. Periodically our tree drops a branch (see The Chinese Elm Drops a Branch). The frequency of limb drop seems to be increasing, and we can see more and more cankers with each drop.
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| Chinese elm leaves (color distorted due to seasonal fires) |
Our arborist has worked valiantly to keep the tree as healthy as possible over the last 20-plus years, monitoring the progression of the disease and clearing out unhealthy vegetation. During that time we have enjoyed its graceful stance, cooling shade, and beautiful features. It will be a sad day when the tree is finally removed.
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