Click on the images help you identify a red elm.
Form
Large tree, 40 to 65 feet tall, with a diameter of 16 to 24 inches. Main branches frequently extend at right angles to the trunk, forming a broad, open, flat-topped head.
Bark
Dark reddish-brown, broken by shallow fissures into flat ridges. Outer bark layers are entirely reddish-brown in cross section.
Leaf
Simple, alternate on the stem, 4 to 6 inches long; ovate and sharply pointed, with an asymmetrical base and double-toothed edges. Thick, dark green, and rough on both sides; turns yellow in autumn. Winter buds are covered with brown, silky hairs.
Fruit (seed)
Samara about 1/2 inch in diameter; seed surrounded by thin, broad, greenish wings. Ripens when leaves are about half grown.
Range
Frequently found throughout the southern half of Minnesota, especially in the Big Woods, and less common northward. Shade tolerant and fast growing.
Wood uses
Hard, strong, and compact; used for furniture, fence posts, railroad ties, shipbuilding, and agricultural implements.