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| ## siberian elm {#siberian-elm .Title-Header}                         |
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| *Ulmus pumila* L.                                                     |
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| Plant Symbol = ULPU                                                   |
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Contributed by: USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="2.2916666666666665in" height="3.4375in"}

Herman, D.E. et al. 1996

North Dakota Tree Handbook

**Caution: This plant may become invasive.**

##### Alternate names {#alternate-names .Header-3}

Chinese elm, dwarf elm, Asiatic elm

##### Uses {#uses .Header-3}

*Ethnobotanic:* The inner bark of Siberian elm was dried and ground into
a powder for thickening soups or adding to cereal flours in bread
making. Immature fruit was used to produce sauce and wine (Facciola,
1990) and the wood was used for agricultural implements and boat making
(Vines, 1987).

*Agroforestry:* Siberian elm is planted and managed in tree strips as
windbreaks to protect livestock, enhance crop production, and control
soil erosion. Windbreaks also function to shelter home buildings against
harsh weather conditions and help reduce home heating and cooling costs.

*Landscape*: Siberian elm has limited ornamental value (Dirr, 1990),
although it has been used in the Midwest for shade along boulevards and
in parks.

##### Status {#status .Header-3}

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status such as state noxious status,
and wetland indicator values.

##### Weediness {#weediness .Header-3}

This plant may become weedy or invasive in some regions or habitats and
may displace desirable vegetation if not properly managed. Please
consult with your local NRCS Field Office, Cooperative Extension Service
office, or state natural resource or agriculture department regarding
its status and use. Weed information is also available from the PLANTS
Web site at plants.usda.gov.

##### Description {#description .Header-3}

*General*: Elm Family (Ulmaceae). Siberian elm is an introduced,
fast-growing tree, from 50 to 70 feet in height. Its leaves are
alternate, oblong in shape, 1 to 3 inches long, and usually have serrate
(saw-toothed) margins. The flowers are greenish and clustered with short
pedicels, and appear with or before the leaves from March through April
(Vines, 1960). The bark is a light gray-brown with irregular furrows and
is often streaked with stains caused by bacterial wetwood. The fruit, a
samara, ripens from April to May, and consists of a dry, compressed
nutlet surrounded by a thin, membranous wing (Ibid.).

##### Adaptation and Distribution {#adaptation-and-distribution .Header-3}

Siberian elm, an extremely hardy tree, is native to northern China,
eastern Siberia, Manchuria, and Korea. It was introduced to the United
States in the 1860s and can be found on dry sites as well as along moist
stream banks, in pastures and on grasslands. This species prefers
well-drained, fertile soil and full sun, however, it is highly adaptable
and easily tolerates, even thrives in, a variety of conditions such as
poor, dry soils, cold winters and long periods of summer drought.
Siberian elm has invaded mesic, dry, and sand prairies.

For a current distribution map, please consult the Plant Profile page
for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

##### Establishment {#establishment .Header-3}

Propagation by seed: Siberian elm seeds do not need pretreatment and
should be sown as soon as ripe in the spring. Excessive drying and
dewinging will reduce viability, though the seeds may be stored at 36-40
F for up to 8 years if moisture content is kept at 3-8% (Dirr and
Heuser, 1987). Seeds are sown in a cold frame, 12 to 20 per linear foot,
in rows ten inches apart, and covered with ¼ inch of firmed soil. The
seedbeds should be kept moist and not overly shaded. When the seedlings
are large enough to handle, they are transplanted to individual pots and
grown in a greenhouse for the first winter. Siberian elm seedlings are
outplanted into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer
the following year. Seedlings should not be held in a nursery bed for
more than two years because they will develop a taproot that makes
lifting difficult and reduces outplanting survival rates.

##### Management {#management .Header-3}

Rosendahl, 1955, noted that some Siberian elm plantings in the Upper
Midwest were unsuccessful because seed was collected in climatically
different geographical areas of the species range and had varying levels
of winter hardiness. Siberian elm may become weedy and require removal.

##### Pests and Potential Problems {#pests-and-potential-problems .Header-3}

Siberian elm is resistant to Dutch elm disease and phloem necrosis and
has been used to breed resistance into elm hybrids (Dirr, 1990).

Leaf damage from elm leaf beetle has been noted in the south. (Ibid.)

##### Environmental Concerns {#environmental-concerns .Header-3}

This species has been declared invasive in New Mexico.

##### Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin) {#cultivars-improved-and-selected-materials-and-area-of-origin .Header-3}

Siberian elm plant materials are readily available through commercial
sources.

##### Control {#control .Header-3}

Please contact your local agricultural extension specialist or county
weed specialist to learn what works best in your area and how to use it
safely. Always read the label and safety instructions for each control
method. Trade names and control measures appear in this document only to
provide specific information. USDA, NRCS does not guarantee or warranty
the products and control methods named, and other products may be
equally effective.

##### Prepared By:  {#prepared-by .Header-3}

*Lincoln M. Moore*

USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

*Kathy Davis*

formerly USDA, NRCS National Plant Materials Center Beltsville, MD

##### Species Coordinator:  {#species-coordinator .Header-3}

*Lincoln M. Moore*

USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

##### Edited 20nov2003 jlk; 30may06jsp {#edited-20nov2003-jlk-30may06jsp .Header-4}

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

*The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in
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orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases
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large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA\'s [TARGET
Center](http://www.usda.gov/oo/target.htm) at 202-720-2600 (voice and
TDD).*

*To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of
Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence
Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice or
TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.*

*Read about [Civil Rights at the Natural Resources Convervation
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