Explore the Hardy Cedar Elm: A Drought-Tolerant Shade Tree
The Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia) is a robust deciduous tree well-suited as a shade tree, even thriving in the rigors of urban life. While it’s not widely known in Florida, it’s a common street tree in Texas due to its tolerance for alkaline and wet soils, as well as its good drought tolerance once established. With proper pruning in its youth, the Cedar Elm requires relatively low maintenance. One of its notable features is its attractive yellow fall color. Although it has a limited native distribution in Florida, this elm is worth considering for its hardiness and ability to withstand challenging conditions, making it a potentially valuable shade and street tree option.
Sizes Available
Wholesale Only
1 Gallon
$4.00
3 Gallon
$8.00
Mature Cedar Elms display drooping branches with corky ridges and vibrant yellow fall foliage.
Scientific Name: Ulmus crassifolia
Common Name: Cedar Elm, Fall Elm, Basket Elm, Scrub Elm, Lime Elm, Texas Elm, Southern Rock Elm, Olmo
Hardiness Zones: 8A, 8B, 9A
Height: 40 to 80 feet
Spread: 20 to 40 feet
Growth Rate: Reasonably fast
Foliage: Spring & Summer: Dark-green, small, and rough-textured leaves. Fall: Turns a vivid yellow, providing attractive autumn color (may be evergreen in the southern part of its range).
Bark: Scaly, and the drooping branches have corky ridges, adding visual interest to the tree.
Sun: Part shade (though other sources suggest full sun).
Soil: Highly tolerant, adapting to clay, loam, lime rock, and sandy soils. It thrives in alkaline soils and tolerates wet soil well.
Wildlife Value: Its seeds are used by birds, especially when little else is available, and the tree is used for nesting. It also serves as larval food for the Question Mark butterfly.
Why Choose Cedar Elm?
Excellent Tolerance for Alkaline and Wet Soils:
The Cedar Elm is a particularly good choice for areas with alkaline soil or sites that experience occasional wetness, conditions where many other trees may struggle to thrive. This adaptability makes it a valuable option for challenging urban environments and landscapes.
Good Drought Tolerance Once Established:
After it is established, the Cedar Elm exhibits good drought tolerance, making it a resilient shade tree for regions with dry periods. This characteristic reduces the need for frequent watering and contributes to its low-maintenance nature.
Attractive Yellow Fall Color:
One of the standout features of the Cedar Elm is its vivid yellow fall foliage, which adds a beautiful splash of color to the landscape during the autumn months, enhancing its ornamental value.
Suitable for Urban and Street Tree Use:
Tolerating the rigors of urban life, including compacted soil and various soil pH levels, the Cedar Elm can be successfully used as a street tree, providing shade and visual appeal in urban settings with proper pruning and training.
Environmental Benefits of Planting Cedar Elm
This data is based on US Averages of healthy and mature trees over a 20-year period.
Check out the USDA’s MyTree Tool to input your custom location data.
CO2 Offset
A single cedar elm can offset the CO₂ emissions produced by driving an average gas-powered car for 28,751 miles.
Water Filtration
A single cedar elm can absorb enough stormwater to fill 2,649 bathtubs, reducing erosion, runoff, and supporting transpiration.
Removes Air Pollution
A single cedar elm removes as much air pollution as the weight of 93 smartphones.
Featured Projects
Central Florida Lands and Timber Nursery, LLC. is a wholesale nursery specializing in a wide array of Florida native trees. With an inventory of over 2 million container-grown trees, CFLTN, LCC can meet the needs of large-scale reforestation, mitigation, and landscaping projects throughout the Southeast region.
Phone
(386) 294-1211
Address
3087 North County Road 53 Mayo, Florida 32066