Chinese elm not entering dormancy

[BrightsideB]

I bought this in late summer and immediately chopped the trunk. It’s probably an inch in diameter. Hasn’t lost it’s leaves yet. Any suggestions on what to do to help it start dormancy. We probably have only 3 more months of cold weather in my location in Georgia. Even though the next five days are supposed to be 50 to 70 degrees it’s crazy! But usually we get the real freezes and cold in January and February. Here are some photo’s of the tree.

 

[Dav4]

Chinese elms can be grown in the ground in zone 5 and yet are considered semi-tropical where they often don't fully lose their leaves. I wouldn't be concerned in the slightest. I think it's more of an indicator of the wonky weather N GA is having this fall/early winter.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

It's trying to gain some resources at this time.
Skipping a dormancy once every five years is not much of an issue. Most plants can handle this with ease.

 

[moke]

I’ve got one tucked away in a shed for winter that has never went totally dormant I have had it for many years now. It sees temps down to freezing but holds leaves all year?

 

[BrightsideB]

Interesting and good to know. Is this a thing with just Chinese elms? Or do other elms do this as well?

 

[coachspinks]

I bought this in late summer and immediately chopped the trunk. It’s probably an inch in diameter. Hasn’t lost it’s leaves yet. Any suggestions on what to do to help it start dormancy. We probably have only 3 more months of cold weather in my location in Georgia. Even though the next five days are supposed to be 50 to 70 degrees it’s crazy! But usually we get the real freezes and cold in January and February. Here are some photo’s of the tree.
View attachment 413365View attachment 413366

I have a small elm that has lost about 50% of its leaves. Last year it lost far less. My seiju elm has lost all its leaves. I think what Dave says is spot on. Georgia weather is so up and down that a lot of trees and plants get confused. I had numerous elms and maples that put out a burst of growth right as it got coldish. Carolina Jasmine landscape plants are pushing tons of new growth. Quince have just started blooming. Landscape lantanas are blooming after multiple nights in the 20's. Heck, I have a 6' ficus on my deck that has yet to come in! Again, more odd plant behavior likely revolving around our crazy Georgia weather.

 

[Shibui]

Chinese elms are definitely semi-deciduous. In warmer climates they never go dormant and have leaves all year round. It does not seem to affect them so not dropping leaves is normal behaviour. I'd just let it do its thing. Pretty sure that when it does get cold enough it will make the change.
BTW Growers from tropical areas where Chinese elms never go dormant have discovered that they can repot and root prune any time of year so do not worry if you need to repot at some stage.
Here it just gets cold enough for mine to be deciduous most years but they also start budding from mid winter so they are the earliest to start growth again.

I do not know of any other elm species that behave like this but I suspect that other elm species are from colder areas.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Chinese elms were last to lose their leaves in the fall, and first to bud out in the spring, when I lived in Southern California. If I pruned hard in late summer, they would sometimes push new growth that would stay on the tree all winter. Didn't seem to phase them in the slightest.

Here in NC, the exact same trees drop their leaves in late Nov, early Dec, and bud out in mid March - about a month later than in California.

 

[BrightsideB]

Chinese elm must be an anomaly. This is weird having a tree grow in winter. They are a hardcore tree. But in all reality it was 60-70 degrees today but two nights before it was 30 degrees. @Bonsai Nut Must be interesting seeing how the tree’s react to this east coast. @Dav4 tgis is my tenth month in Georgia. I think this is the warmest so far. But apparently you never know what to expect here. I have the windows open right now and fans on.

 

[leatherback]

My chinese elm is completely green still. First frost about 4 weeks ago. The last 7 days multiple nights with temps below 22F. Over the few years I have had this, it kept foliage untill the leaves really got damaged by frost, as far as I can tell, and then reluctantly drop it, without any change of colour.

 

[Davidlpf]

In my place, ulmus parvifolia tend to be evergreen, or they drop the leaves and pop the buds at the same time.
Corky varietys (ulmus parvifolia var nirekeyaki and ulmus parvifolia var seiju) have more deciduous behaveaur: drop all the leaves through the winter, and they open buds at the end of the cold season.

You can see a sample of how they look like at 27/12/2021 here:

Merry Christmas and happy new year!!

 

[BrightsideB]

In my place, ulmus parvifolia tend to be evergreen, or they drop the leaves and pop the buds at the same time.
Corky varietys (ulmus parvifolia var nirekeyaki and ulmus parvifolia var seiju) have more deciduous behaveaur: drop all the leaves through the winter, and they open buds at the end of the cold season.

You can see a sample of how they look like at 27/12/2021 here:

Merry Christmas and happy new year!!

Happy new year to you too! Thanks for the information. And nice tree’s!

 

[Bonsai_paul]

This tree lost 4 leaves this winter