Zelkova vs CE

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
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Zelkova are only hardy thru zone 7, somewhere in zone 6 they meet their cold limit.

Chinese elm is good through zone 5 into zone 4.

Siberian elm is good through zone 3.

American elm, also native rock elm Ulmus thomasii are hardy through zone 4.

I would choose the one I could leave outside all winter. In Idaho that is not a trivial problem. You get serious cold and lots of snow.
 

Forsoothe!

Imperial Masterpiece
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Becareful, at last count there were over 20 cultivars of Chinese
Elms. You can get new types from roots or shoots.
Some are very finely branched and with tiny leaves.
Some need winter, others like the Tropics.

The Chinese make up ages as some elms can really trunk expand.
Illusion. You willingly pay more.
Fun tu grow from roots. More personality.
Good Day
Anthony
You mean the same people who make pots, coins, antiques, and everything under the sun and describe them as conveniently as possible market trees that are not exactly what they look like, too? Is that the essence of inscrutable?
 

LCD35

Mame
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Zelkova are only hardy thru zone 7, somewhere in zone 6 they meet their cold limit.

Chinese elm is good through zone 5 into zone 4.

Siberian elm is good through zone 3.

American elm, also native rock elm Ulmus thomasii are hardy through zone 4.

I would choose the one I could leave outside all winter. In Idaho that is not a trivial problem. You get serious cold and lots of snow.
The wind is a big hazard as well. We've had less snow in southern Idaho this year, but extremely low temps with high winds.
 
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Caucasian elm (Zelkova carpinifolia) are cold hardy to zone 6, and have some advantages of both Ulmus species and Z. serrata. They have small leaves and short internodes, smooth bark like a serrata, and back bud easily. I only have two but they seem really tough. All elms, both true elms and zelkova seem to be susceptible to random dieback especially of twigs. Seiju elms (a variety of Chinese elm) have brittle branches and twigs, so they are hard to wire.
 

Mikecheck123

Omono
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I can confirm that Zelkovas thicken a lot slower than Chinese elms. I have a 2 year old Zelkova that's getting very nice ramification, but it's only the thickness of the following letter: I.
 
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