FNPS Plant Database

Ulmus crassifolia

cedar elm

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

Nomenclature

Common Name:

cedar elm

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Ulmus crassifolia

Family:

Ulmaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

40-80 ft tall by 20-40 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

NA

Fruit Color:

NA

Phenology:

deciduous

Noted For:

Fall Color, Interesting Foliage, Interesting Bark

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Shade tree. Can be used as a street tree. Yellow fall color.

Considerations:

While not known to occur in Florida, this species is potentially susceptible to  Dutch elm disease.

Availability:

Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Seed, cuttings.

Light:

Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Usually moist, occasional inundation ---to--- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam, Lime Rock

Soil pH:

Adaptable

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Caterpillars, Birds

Larval food for the Question Mark butterfly ( Polygonia interrogationis )

Seeds used by birds when little else is available. Used for nesting. 

Native Habitats:

Floodplain forest, hydric hammock, bottomland forest. On limestone.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

While this tree has a limited native distribution in Florida, it also occurs as far west as Texas in similar types of settings.

Citations:

Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H.; [Technical coordinators] 1990. Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654 ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). 



Minno, Marc and Maria Minno.  1999.  Florida butterfly gardening.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville.



Huegel, Craig, N.  2010.  Native plant landscaping for Florida wildlife.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL. 



Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A gardener's guide to Florida's native plants.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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