American elm Ulmaceae Ulmus americana

Leaf: Alternate, 3 to 6 inches long, 1 to 3 inches wide; margin coarsely and sharply
doubly serrate, base of leaf conspicuously inequilateral; upper surface glabrous
or slightly scabrous, paler and downy beneath.

Flower: Appears March to May before leaf buds open, in fascicles of 3 to 5.

Fruit: Rounded samaras, 3/8 to 1/2 inch across, deeply notched at apex, hairless
except for margin; appears April to May.

Twig: Slender, glabrous, slightly zigzag, reddish-brown; buds over 1/4 inch
long, reddish-brown with darker edged scales, often placed a little to one side
of the twig.

Bark: Dark, ashy-gray, flat-topped ridges separated by diamond-shaped fissures;
outer bark when sectioned shows distinct, alternating, buff colored and reddish-brown
patches. When young it is often quite spongy.

Form: In the open, the trunk is usually divided into several large, ascending
and arching limbs, ending in a maze of graceful drooping branchlets.