Ulmus rubra - (red elm, gray elm, soft elm, moose elm, and Indian elm)

[Random User]

For more than 40 years I've occasionally been part of conversations about Red Elm vs. White Elm... and for more than half of those years I've been of the mind that we don't have RE this far north and west.

I was reading a bit of material on the RE that states it was called the "Red" Elm because of the red heartwood. (And following this same principle with the "White" Elm) Now normally, one would not violate a tree to the extent to be able to study the heartwood, but in the Bonsai world, this opportunity is a constant. (I'd say most of the people that I've been around tend to revere Elms in general, so to damage one just to make a point would be out of the question... except Siberian Elms)

The other bit of a hint comes from descriptions of the White Elm as being "a single trunked, formal upright, vase shaped tree"... and I can say, in this part of the world, it would be very rare to find one that didn't follow this description that managed to live into maturity. (which to my mind restricts a good representation of this species to this shape, but thats another argument entirely.)

Granted there are elms that are double trunked specimens and one of them was/is on a farm that I am familiar with, and was the one tree where this whole "Red/White" conversation began, over 40 years go. The people who owned the land were insistent that this tree was a RE, and now I am beginning to think they may be right, because the literature also states that RE does not grow at tall as WE, and the tree was reputed to be quite an age when I first saw it, yet it was not overly tall like one would expect it to be, if it was indeed as old as stated (I can't remember the age any longer)

So, following these descriptions, I wandered out to my back yard and studied the trees I have... two are double trunked (more like mother daughter) and tend to appear to have red heartwood... I will have to study the similarities and differences closer before making a final determination.

Perhaps this bit of info will cause a few interested people in the eastern part of Canada and continental U.S. to take a second look at what they have in their back yards... and perhaps, you'll counter my arguments and send me right back to thinking that RE does not inhabit this part of the world once more...

 

[M. Frary]

Never heard of white elm or red elm.
Here we have American elm and siberian elm.
I'll cut one down to look at the heartland.
I revere no tree.
Every tree has the potential to be a stump.

 

[Random User]

So after discovering the possibility that I already had Red Elm without realizing it, I re-checked my notes on these two plants and realized that they were not collected trees... they are a Japanese Elm cultivar... the heartwood appeared/s dark red/brown, but I think that was due in part to discolouration from the application of pruning treatments. The heartwood is not white, but it is not deep red/brown like Red Elm is supposed to be...

I'm beginning to have a real concern about my memory, because I should have remembered where I bought these trees... oh well, life goes on and the hunt continues...

 

[grog]

Around my neck of the woods elms are referred to as white or red by people burning wood for fuel. I'm pretty sure 'white elm ' is hackberry since it's a prevalent species and doesn't get mentioned expect as a weed they call 'hackleberry'. I also think the 'red elms' are our native Ulmus rubra. They're definitely elms, and their interior is red, so despite myself that makes sense.

Deciphering what the old fellas call trees is quite the challenge, but worth it. I want a hophornbeam to collect but I sure don't ask grandpa about hophornbeam stands. They're 'ironwood' rarely and 'leaf holders' mostly.

 

[M. Frary]

I'm beginning to have a real concern about my memory, because I should have remembered

You'll forget all about it.
So I wouldn't worry too much.
Now,what were we talking about?
Oh yeah!
Elms!
Love 'em.