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Cedar Elm

Ulmus crassifolia

Other common name(s):

Fall Elm, Basket Elm, Scrub Elm, Lime Elm, Texas Elm, Southern Rock Elm, Olmo

Family:

Ulmaceae (Elm Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift
Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Semiarid Edwards Bajada
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Southern Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Tree

Height

50
to
75
ft.

Spread

25
to
35
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Clay, Rocky, Alkaline, Poor Drainage

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Very Low, Low

Native Habitat

Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Green

Bloom Season

Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Fall Color, Seeds, Nectar, Larval Host, Nesting Material

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Birds

Maintenance

Adapted to rocky soils. Prune only as needed to raise canopy for walkways. This species flowers in fall, so refrain from major trims in late summer. Propagation: Seed.

Comments

Upright form. Can tolerate soils that are moderately compacted. Uplands and lowlands. Attractive “winged” bark on new stems. Provides seeds and nesting for wildlife. Larval Host: Mourning Cloak, Question Mark. Replaces Invasives: Chinese Tallow Tree, Chinaberry.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48, 53. 3) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 347-348. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=23685&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 5) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=19052#null, 6) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ULCR, 7) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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