Is this tall, leafy plant a young tree?

13 years ago

Hi,

I have a very tall, leafy plant growing up out of a bush in my backyard.

Is it some sort of young tree, or just a weed? If it's a tree, is it a "junk tree," or one worth transplanting somewhere else in the yard?

Thanks!

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Comments (6)

saltcedar
13 years ago
Elm, (Ulmus Sp.).
newplanter211
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you! I had no idea it was an Elm. Is there any way to tell which species of Elm it is? From what I've read on Google, there are some species that are undesirable...

It's really branching out...that tall stalk is not the only one, but I can trace all 4 of them to a single trunk in the ground below the bush. Is that normal for a tree?
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saltcedar
13 years ago
Try UBC forum if you don't get an answer here.

Here is a link that might be useful: UBC Botanical Garden Forums
Embothrium
13 years ago
Definitely an elm, probably a large-growing one (most are). Fruits are generally needed to positively identify wild species, in addition to those are many intentional hybrids, both old and new - and not fully represented in keys and descriptions. You can't count on someone coming up with a 100% reliable species identification based on seeing this picture on the internet. If it happens to be a comparatively distinctive kind that somebody suggests as a possibility then there you are, otherwise even unusually thorough and dedicated tree expert Arthur Lee Jacobson of Seattle, WA (author of NORTH AMERICAN LANDSCAPE TREES, TREES OF SEATTLE, PURPLELEAF PLUMS) cannot give airtight names to every elm tree he has encountered. And this is includes his home territory, probably the last stronghold (alas, no longer) of elms susceptible to Dutch Elm Disease and pretty much no longer represented by full-sized specimens elsewhere.
Embothrium
13 years ago
If you're here in the PNW and it is coming up like a running bamboo then it is liable to be Ulmus minor vulgaris (U. procera). A much larger parent tree will have to be/have to have been a nearby source of these suckers. This produces a noble lofty specimen with actually pretty decent fall color - where not killed by DED.
newplanter211
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks, bboy!

I'm actually in North Texas, so not up in the PNW. I'm not sure if DED is rampant here or not...I'll have to do some research.

From what I can tell, this tree grew from seed under a bush in my backyard. The only trees in my immediate area are a huge oak in my neighbor's backyard, and then I only have 3 huge crepe myrtles in my own yard. This may be the work of a bird/squirrel dropping the seed off from another nearby Elm.

I do have another question: if this tree continues to grow where it is, which plant is most likely to win and survive (the Elm tree or the large shrub)? I'm worried about trying to transplant the tree - its trunk is right up against the trunks of the shrub. I plan to wait until fall to do this, but I want to have some sort of plan and would like to save both, if possible.

Thanks!

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Is this tall, leafy plant a young tree?

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Is this tall, leafy plant a young tree?

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