Content
- The elm: a species-rich tree
- Subdivision into genera and sections
- The native elms species
- The mountain elm
- The Flutter elm
- The field elm
- Differences between the elm species
- Distribution in Germany
- The elm dying
The European elm is one of the largest elm species
The elm: a species-rich tree
The elm is also widespread in this country. Due to certain characteristics such as flowering, leaves and growth habit, it is easy to distinguish from other trees. But elm is not the same as elm. Could you identify the different varieties? If you know which elm species exist and what their characteristics are, then that's no problem at all.
Subdivision into genera and sections
The elm is a deciduous deciduous tree, which is mostly native to the northern hemisphere. Both in Central Europe and in Eurasia or Central America, a broad spectrum of species is growing. The genus comprises about 40 to 50 different species belonging to either the subgenus Ulmus or the subgenus Oreoptelea. Botanists divide this subgenus again into different sections:
In Central Europe three types of elm grow superficially:
The native elms species
The mountain elm
The mountain elm grows up to 40 meters tall, has a gray-black bark and produces yellow flowers in spring (March-April).
The Flutter elm
Slightly earlier than the mountain elm, the flutter elm unfolds its flowers in green-purple. Her bark is gray-green.
The field elm
The field elm, however, has whitish flowers that unfold from March to April. It can reach a height of 40 meters, but it often stays below it, depending on the site conditions.
Differences between the elm species
At the top of this page, you have already learned that the three different elms of Central Europe form differently colored flowers. Another indication of the variety is the length of the petiole. While the leaves of the field elm have no steep, those of the mountain elm are short-stalked, those of the flutter elm long-stalked.
Distribution in Germany
The elm species have a differentiated frequency in Germany in terms of their occurrence. The mountain elm grows superficially in the low mountain ranges. The Flatter elm is in turn most likely to strike you in the northeast of the Federal Republic. The Upper Rhine Graben is populated mainly by the field elm.
The elm dying
In recent years, the elm struts, a dangerous hose fungus, conservationists are very worried. So far, no countermeasures could be taken. Thus, the three native elm species are among the endangered tree species. In particular, the mountain elm is affected by the disease. Hope comes from the Netherlands, where resistant varieties have been developed.