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Winged Elm

Ulmus alata

Other common name(s):

Winged Elm, Wahoo Elm, Cork Elm, Witch Elm

Family:

Ulmaceae (Elm Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Limestone Cut Plain
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Coastal Sand Plain, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Tree

Height

30
to
40
ft.

Spread

30
to
40
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Moist

Light Requirement

Part Shade

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Woodland, Wetland or Riparian

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Yellow, Green

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Fall Color, Seeds, Forage, Larval Host, Nesting Material

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Birds, Small Mammals

Maintenance

If necessary prune to thin multiple branches or narrow branches. Susceptible to Dutch elm disease. Often infected with powdery mildew. Elms germinated quickly from fresh, untreated seeds. Spring ripening varieties, sow seeds immediately. Fall ripening varieties, air dry seeds and store in a cool place. Propagation: Softwood cuttings, seeds.

Comments

An attractive mid-sized tree, Winged elm has spreading branches that form a round-topped, oblong head. Opposite corky ridges occur on the branches in one plane. The leaves are dark green, oval, and double serrated, turning a dull yellow in the fall. The fruit is a samara. Provides cover and nesting sites. Attracts seed eating birds and mammals, browsed by rabbits. Larval Host: Question Mark butterfly.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ULAL. 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Ulmus+alata&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=23684&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 5) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=19051#null