Trees that are "low-maintenance" usually tend to be mundane and overplanted, and often borderline invasive.

It's too bad, because European Elms make beautiful specimens (if you have the room).

Removing invasive root systems that keep sprouting up is very difficult and labor intensive. The only way to do it is to get in there with a shovel and track down all the thick roots to pull them out. Otherwise you will keep having to cut back shoots for years, and constantly have to stay on top of it.

You could likely end up having to dig up half your yard.

When you cut the shoots, paint them with round up. It will be absorbed into the root system.

Um, rather worrying. I have half a dozen u.parviflora seedlings growing in airpots...I had no idea this was such a problematic tree - in fact, in the UK, we generally look upon u.sibirica with more anxiety. I have u.pumila though.

Woah woah woah. Everyone stay calm. "Tordon RTU". Cut off your sucker, apply a dab to the surface of the cut part and watch it never come back. You would never have had suckers come up if you applied this to the original stumps. Oh yeah, it's really that easy.

Campanula, just curious about U. sibirica - I'm not familiar with this species. How does it compare to U. pumila?

treebird,

Tordon (picloram) has the potential to cause damage to adjacent vegetation. Probably safer to use glyphosate. See under "cut surface applications" here:

https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2009/jun/112401.htm

Might be that I am an ignoramus but I had always thought that u.pumila was synonymous with u.sibirica apart from size. Oh yeah, there is also a weeping variety, pendula. They germinated easily, without requiring stratification so I am hanging onto them so youngest can muck about trying bonsai...which is it's main use in Europe, I think - that and Zelkova. I have only had ownership of acreage for 4 years so am on a massive learning curve (mainly familiar with orchard trees).

Will post pics when more to see than tiny naked twigs in pots.

Found one reference that equates sibirica (siberica) with the pendulous variety of pumila - "updated checklist of elm (ulmus) cultivars for use in N America", Journal of Arboriculture, May 1995 (pdf document). See also http://systematics.mortonarb.org/ulmus/elmCultivar.344.html

My confusion as well-pumila is Siberian elm in my brain. In any case, I just want to add that Arbordave is right on in suggesting picloram might not be the best material to use for cut/treat applications. In fact, I'll go a step further and suggest that this is an herbicide soon to leave this world. It's just too toxic and keeps sinking down through the soil. Glyphosate, imazipyr, and triclopyr are three much better woody plant herbicides choices, and will work in the same manner.

My confusion was not between siberian elm and Chinese elm. I have long understood this dichotomy. I was talking about what Camp said-that Siberian and UImus pumila might be two different things. They aren't in my world!

No, I didn't think they were in my world either Tom - had thought both species were synonymous with only size and growth habit offering a distinct difference. In this respect, pumila is grown as a neat(ish) parkland plant (beloved of windy car-parks). I have pumila growing from seed but only because it was a freebie. My personal choice would be to keep a few u.glabra seedlings on the go and, of course, hope lives eternal that a beetle resistant u.procera might reappear one day. There are rumours, every few years or so.

Yes, such rumors abound over here regarding U. americana. I hope one or two of these rumors turn out to have some truth behind them!

OT Camp, but my older son just returned from London business trip. His main comment following this, his first trip to Britain, was the antiquity of everything. Such a difference....Around here, a 30 yr.-old building is as likely to get torn down as refurbished. 30 yrs. in your land is still brand-spanking new! I wish we were more like you guys in that respect. I hate almost all modern architecture-the more garish and "statement-making", the worse. And we've got some in that "worse" category!

Yeah, but what we are seeing now Tom, is a horrible conflation of expectations (that a house lasts for 150 years) and building standards (they are probably only good for 40). And with a housing crisis in full flow and only the first wave of what will be the story of the 21st century - mass migration - I can only see future slums.But hey, I can really see why you value trees.

Looks like I may keep the u.parviflora for bonsai practice. Not sure I want forests of suckers.