Can you help me identify a tree in my front yard?
I have been YouTubing and Googling identification but coming up with varied results. Any help is much appreciated! Thank you!
Answer
I asked one of our horticulturists to look at your tree photos. He identified it as Zelkova serrata (Japanese zelkova). Zelkovas belong to the Elm family and were brought to this country after our American elm started disappearing due to Dutch Elm disease. Quoting from my favorite book on local trees, Philadelphia Trees; a Field Guide to the City and the Surrounding Delaware Valley : “the Japanese zelkova is becoming a popular park and street tree in the United States. Some cultivars have been selected for a graceful vase-shaped habit similar to the American elm. The Japanese zelkova is resistant to Dutch elm disease and other pests and grows well in stressful urban sites, withstanding drought and heat.” Great choice. Enjoy your tree.
Read more about the American Elm: (books available in PHS library)
Thomas Campanella. Republic of shade :New England and the American elm. 2003.
Jill Jonnes. Urban forests : a natural history of trees and people in the American cityscape. 2016