Drake Chinese Elm Tree

The Drake Chinese Elm is a little-known but very desirable small tree, with slender branches, small leaves, and a graceful rounded form. It grows 30 to 40 feet tall, with a broad, rounded crown. It can be grown in zones 7, 8 and 9, being semi-deciduous in cooler areas, and evergreen in warmer ones. It makes a perfect specimen on a lawn, or in large beds among flowering shrubs and evergreens. The small leaves are edged in soft teeth, and the flowers and fruit are inconspicuous and never a litter problem. The bark is a beautiful feature, in shades of gray, peeling to reveal tan and red inner bark. It can be grown as a screen, with trimming, or pruned into a more open form, as you need. It can grow on a single trunk, or with several trunks, depending on how it is pruned. This tree is very disease tolerant, and also generally free of pests.

• Superior form of elm, with excellent disease resistance
• Evergreen in warm areas, semi-deciduous in cooler ones
• Attractive rounded form, with arching branches
• Grows well in almost any soil, and in a wide range of conditions
• Do not confuse it with the very inferior Siberian elm

The Drake Chinese Elm grows well in almost any soil, from acidic to alkaline, and from wet to dry. Do not plant in soil that is constantly wet, but periods of wetness are well-tolerated. This rapid-growing tree is almost completely resistant to Dutch Elm Disease, and it is almost never bothered by leaf beetles, including Japanese beetle. Other pests are only seen rarely, and with its tolerance of urban and seaside conditions, this tree is a wonderful choice for low, trouble-free maintenance, yet it is always attractive.