Evergreen Elm

The Evergreen Elm, scientifically known as Ulmus parvifolia (also commonly called Chinese Elm or Lacebark Elm), is a highly valued and remarkably resilient deciduous to semi-evergreen tree, cherished for its graceful form, attractive bark, and adaptability to challenging urban conditions. Native to East Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, it thrives in a wide range of climates from temperate to subtropical, and is highly adaptable to various soil types, including poor or compacted urban soils. In Phoenix, Arizona, the Evergreen Elm is a widely planted and successful shade tree, performing exceptionally well in the intense heat and sun, and often retaining its leaves through much of the winter. As a long-lived perennial, an Evergreen Elm can easily persist for 100 to 200 years or more, forming a substantial and enduring presence in the landscape.

Its most distinctive characteristics include its attractive, often exfoliating bark, which peels in patches to reveal mottled patterns of gray, brown, green, and orange, providing year-round visual interest. The tree typically develops a rounded to upright, vase-shaped crown with relatively fine branching, creating an elegant silhouette. The small, ovate, glossy green leaves are leathery and have serrated margins. While technically deciduous, in milder climates like Phoenix, Arizona, it behaves as semi-evergreen, holding its leaves well into winter, or even year-round in very mild winters, hence its common name. In early fall, it produces small, inconspicuous, greenish-brown flowers, which are followed quickly by small, wafer-like, disc-shaped seeds (samaras) that mature in late fall. These seeds can be numerous but are generally not considered messy. The Evergreen Elm is highly valued for its exceptional drought tolerance once established, its resilience to heat, pollution, and poor urban soils, and its general resistance to Dutch Elm Disease (unlike many other elm species). Its fast growth rate, attractive bark, and ability to provide significant shade make the Evergreen Elm an excellent choice for street trees, park trees, residential yards, and as a durable, low-maintenance shade tree in a wide range of landscapes, particularly excelling in the challenging conditions of Phoenix, Arizona.