American Elm         UL-mus a-mer-i-KA-na

• Deciduous tree, to over 75 ft (23 m), vase, arching branches (most common form), a spreading form is also seen.  Leaves alternate, simple, 7.5-15 cm, ovate-oblong, unequal at base, doubly serrate (toothed), glossy dark green above, 13-18 parallel veins from midvein to the teeth.  Flowers perfect, in groups of 3-4, yellow to reddish.  Fruit rounded, disc-like samara, about 12 mm long, greenish sometime with a reddish tinge, maturing in early summer.
• Sun, prefers rich, moist, soils but grows under a variety of conditions.  Once extensively used as a street and lawn tree.  Dutch elm disease has changed that.  Apparently no longer common in eastern North America.  However, there are several hunderded elms (U. american, U. × hollandica, and others) in Corvallis, most on the OSU campus.  Hybrids elms resistant to Dutch elm disease are now recommended for planting.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 2      Native from Newfoundland to Florida, west to the Rocky Mountains.
• Oregon State Univ. campus: tall, arching specimen on the northwest corner of the Valley Library quad, lower spreading form directly west of library, and an intermediate form between these two.