Ulmus glabra
Wych elm
How do you recognise wych elm?
The leaves are greyish or bluish green, darker than those of most other trees growing in Finland. The small round flowers sit on short stalks and look a little like pussy willow. The fruit is a winged nutlet 16–30 mm long and 14–20 mm wide.
What is it confused with?
A lime leaf is heart-based and hairless, and a hazel leaf is hairy and paler. The winged nutlet is a sure sign of elm in summer.
Where does wych elm grow, and when does it flower?
In the wild, wych elm grows in mesic, nutrient-rich woodland below cliffs and along streams. In Finland it flowers in May.
Can you collect it for a herbarium?
Wych elm is threatened in Finland and rare in the wild. Prefer a yard or park tree, and take a single leaf.
Did you know?
The seed sits inside a flat papery disc that sails on the wind. Wych elm flowers before its leaves open, and the seeds fall as early as the start of summer.
Where does wych elm grow in Finland?
The map shows where the species has been recorded. Darker squares mean more observations.
Loading the map
Observations: GBIF · Map: CARTO, OpenStreetMap
Sources: fi.wikipedia.org
Identify plants with your phone
Linnea identifies a plant from a photo and tells you its name and its story. Every find takes its own numbered place in your herbarium, with the day and the town where you found it.
