elms

genus Ulmus

Member of elm family (family Ulmaceae)
dicots (class Magnoliopsida)
flowering plants (subphylum Angiospermae)

There are no other wild species of this genus in California.

Although there are many elms planted in urban areas, very few trees can be found wild in the bay area.

american elm
Ulmus americana

american elm
Ulmus americana

leaf 3.5–8.3 cm wide, acuminate

margin doubly serrate

bark split into ridges that mostly curve together at their ends
branches never have corky outgrowths

Caution: ID unsure

field elm
Ulmus minor

leaf 3.5–8.3 cm wide, acuminate

margin doubly serrate

bark split into ridges or plates that seldem curve together
generally some branches have corky warts or wings

chinese elm
Ulmus parvifolia

leaf 1–3.5 cm wide, no more than short-acuminate

margin usually simply serrate, but sometimes doubly serrate

bark peels as irregular woody scales 2–8 cm wide, not furrowed

siberian elm
Ulmus pumila

leaf 1–3.5 cm wide, no more than short-acuminate

margin usually simply serrate, but sometimes doubly serrate

bark deeply furrowed, firmly attached

1 observed taxon / 3 unobserved taxons / 1 key

Chris’s observations: none

Taxon info: iNaturalist – Calflora – Jepson eFlora – FNA

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora