The crown is open and rounded with slender, spreading branches. The leaves are small (< 2 in.) alternate, simple, singly-serrate, and dark-green in color. The bark is light-gray with irregular furrows. Siberian elm invades pastures, roadsides, and prairies throughout the Midwest and Great Plains regions of the United States. The trees are very drought and cold resistant allowing it to grow in areas where other trees cannot. The abundant, wind-dispersed seeds allow this plant to spread rapidly, forming dense thickets that close open areas displacing native vegetation and reducing forage for wild animals and livestock. Siberian elm is native to northern Asia and was first introduced into America in the 1860s. It has been planted throughout the Midwest and Great Plains for windbreaks and lumber.
In North America, Ulmus pumila is an invasive species, spreading from Utah east to Kansas and north to Ontario. It is found in abundance along railroads and in abandoned lots and on disturbed ground. The gravel along railroad beds provides ideal conditions for its growth: well-drained, nutrient poor soil, and high light conditions, and these beds provide corridors which facilitate its spread. Owing to its high sunlight requirements, it seldom invades mature forests, and is primarily a problem in cities and open areas.
In North America, Ulmus pumila is an invasive species, spreading from Utah east to Kansas and north to Ontario. It is found in abundance along railroads and in abandoned lots and on disturbed ground. The gravel along railroad beds provides ideal conditions for its growth: well-drained, nutrient poor soil, and high light conditions, and these beds provide corridors which facilitate its spread. Owing to its high sunlight requirements, it seldom invades mature forests, and is primarily a problem in cities and open areas.
