There are many beautiful trees found in the Sunshine State, many of those trees are Elm Trees! While Elm Trees may not be as common as Live Oaks or Pine Trees, you can still feast your eyes on these beauties throughout our state. Here are three kinds of Elm Trees you can find here in Florida!
The Florida Elm
Again, while the elm may not be as widely seen as other kinds of trees, we do have an Elm Tree named after our state. The Florida Elm (Ulmus americana var. floridana) is a variation of the American Elm tree and unlike many Elm Trees, they are native to North America. These elms grow quickly when they are young, forming a broad, vase-shaped silhouette. They can grow to be anywhere from 60 to 80 feet tall with a symmetrical crown that spreads 50 to 60 feet. The only difficulty with these trees is they are prone to Dutch Elm Disease and other pests. It’s important to the health of existing trees that a program be in place to administer special care to these disease-sensitive trees. You can commonly see the wood of elm trees used in furniture.
The Cedar Elm
The Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia) grows in Florida and widely across the United States. This elm isn’t typically as tall as the Florida Elm, but these trees can still grow to be anywhere from 50-70 feet tall with a crown spread of 40-60 feet. Cedar Elms typically take a round or vase-like shape. They would actually be a fairly low maintenance tree if it wasn’t for their sometimes droopy branches. If there is regular pruning to Cedar Elms when they are young it will make their needed maintenance lower when they are older. Much like the Florida Elm, the Cedar Elm is susceptible to Dutch Elm Disease, but harbors fewer pests.
The Winged Elm
The last of the three is the Winged Elm tree (Ulmus alata). These trees are the smallest of the three only growing an average of 45 to 70 feet with a crown spanning 30 to 40 feet. The Winged Elm can be seen in several different shapes including: pyramidal, vase, oval, upright/erect. This tree is unique from other elms because of its corky, winglike projections which appear on opposite sides of twigs and branches. These elms can be difficult to train in the beginning of their lifetime, requiring several prunings for the first few years, but once you’ve gotten past the training period it is excellent at adapting in all sorts of environments. Like all Elm Trees, the Winged Elm is prone to Dutch Elm Disease. You should be weary about planting many of these in one area to avoid the disease spreading to other nearby trees.
Florida Elm Trees and Your Yard
Whether it’s the Florida Elm, Cedar Elm or Winged Elm all of these trees are beautiful and would make a great addition to your yard. They will provide shade during the hot summer days and curb appeal on any other day. If you have any questions about pruning or caring for these disease proned trees, call us for more information!