Plant, Tree & Shrub Library

Other Names:  Japanese Elm, David Elm

Description:

An impressive medium sized tree with a vase-shaped habit of growth, shapely throughout its life; an excellent shade tree for the home landscape or street tree, neat and tidy; very hardy and adaptable, extremely resistant to Dutch elm disease

Ornamental Features

Discovery Elm has dark green deciduous foliage on a tree with a round habit of growth. The serrated pointy leaves turn yellow in fall.

Landscape Attributes

Discovery Elm is a deciduous tree with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This tree will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Discovery Elm is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Shade

Planting & Growing

Discovery Elm will grow to be about 40 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 feet. It has a high canopy with a typical clearance of 6 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. As it matures, the lower branches of this tree can be strategically removed to create a high enough canopy to support unobstructed human traffic underneath. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 70 years or more.

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.