Doesn't look like an elm to me either...and, on a side note, my dear friend, Fred, who passed away at the age of 97 last September always called them elums too.

This tree might be some kind of ash tree, or if these trees turn a brilliant orange-red in autumn, then perhaps Chinese pistache.

I don't recall what they do in the fall. I might have to contact OKC Parks and Rec, to find out what they are exactly. I'd bet there's 10 to 15 around the park in various stages of growth.

I guess " elum " is an older term. Dad would've been 99 yo tomorrow.

I can remember when I was young that the folks calling an elm, an "Elum". That is what I called the too until learned different. I can also remember my great grand parents using the term haint and taint also, his'un, you'insuns, a bicycle was a wheel. There were so many, I wish I could remember them.

I suppose elum was an older term. Fred was sort of the last of the old-timers here, though some of the folks who were the age I am now when we moved here 22 years ago are the new old-timers I guess. I don't remember any of them, now in the early 80s, referring to elms as elums though. It was the generation that was just 10-20 years older than them that did that.

Larry, There's so many old expressions like that which I probably can't remember now either. A couple that come to mind include "I swan" or "I swanee", which a lot of the older ones here used to say, especially the ladies, instead of (I am guessing) "I swear", and then there's the way that the folks here derisively referred to ne'er-do-wells as being "no account" or "no count". How about "more than Carter's got little pills", "can't never could" or "worn slap out". I remember the old saying "there's a lid for every pot", used to describe someone who just hadn't found the right mate yet but was still looking, and the every popular grandpa question when kids were running in and out banging the screen door "were you born in a barn?". He and my dad also both used to say we were "acting like a bunch of wild injuns". I remember my aunts and uncles, who all would be well over 100 if still alive today, saying "if I had my druthers" and, as a child, I never knew what their druthers was.

Dawn

True Dawn, a lot of those we don't hear anymore.

Names change with time. I am a Junior, named after my Dad. And in the era when Dad was born, Lynn was more of a male name, I think anyway. I judge that because I'm a WW II buff and I see the name Lynn much among servicemen in that war. But somehow, its become more of a feminine name since WW II, especially female middle names. On the internet, I have to find some way to establish that I'm male, or else most people will think I'm a female.

The pilot of my Dad's B-17 crew was named Francis. He was a West Point grad and had a strong military ancestry. I also see the name Carol a lot in WW II, and of course the most famous male Carol was Carol O'Connor.

Lynn, That is true about your name. I have a cousin named Lynn and I used to work with a guy named Lyndel. The usage of names does change over time. I used to spend a lot of my time convincing people I was a girl and not a boy (Don). Then, along came Tony Orlando and Dawn, and people finally realized I had a name that was not supposed to be a boy's name. Then along came Tanya Tucker's hit, "Delta Dawn", and I started wishing I had any other name on this earth. lol.

A lot of the names that young couples are using nowadays I just do not understand at all. I miss the more traditional names, but I bet they'll come back into vogue one of these days.

I especially miss the old country names like Billy Bob, Billy Don and Billy Jack. Our next door neighbor was Billy Jake.

Dawn

Looks like a Chinese pistache to me.

I've not yet contacted OKC Parks, thanks for reminding me.

Been two days, not heard a word from OKC Parks. Will have to try some way other than Twitter.

Well, the tree I've posted pics of above, with the almost perfect shape, that I've never found what variety of tree it is ........... will no longer have its perfect shape. Took the pug to the park today and here it is ...

That's a shame, ice can sure mess up a tree. I have a cypress by my driveway that has the top broken, I think by wind. It will just have to stay that way. Cypress are not very strong and I don't want to spend the money to get it repaired.

I think my redbud in the front yard is too far gone. It only has 2 major limbs left. I've spent 10 years growing it and I loved it in March when it bloomed. I doubt I can reshape the tree. I'm gonna wait till next spring to make the decision to take it out or try to live with it

OKC Master Gardeners tweeted this link today

Managing storm damaged trees

I have discovered the variety of these trees, they are Chinese Pistache . Dawn and GreenmanOK were right. I was at the park today and they are bright red, really beautiful. These pics don't do the tree justice