Winged Elm
Ulmus alata Michx.
Also known as Cork Elm or Wahoo.
Mature Size: 40 to 50 feet in height and 1 to 2 feet in diameter.
Form: Short trunk, with branches arching upward to form an open, rounded crown.
Habitat: Common on dry, gravelly uplands, but also grows in moist river bottoms.
Leaves
Alternate, simple, 1½ to 3½ inches long, oblong to oval, pointed, somewhat rough-textured and coarsely double-toothed on the edges.
Flowers
Small, reddish, in clusters, appearing before leaves in spring.
Fruit
Small seed encased in a . inch long, reddish, flattened, papery covering, hairy on edges, oblong, tipped with two long, curving bristles; ripening in early spring.
Bark
Red-brown to ashy gray, divided into irregular flat ridges and fissures.
Twigs
Slender, smooth, slightly zigzag, reddish brown, with reddish brown buds and corky wings protruding up to one-half inch from stem.
Values and Uses
The heavy wood is hard and strong. It is seldom harvested but has been used for furniture, flooring, hockey sticks, crates and boxes. Birds and small mammals eat the seeds, and deer browse the new leaves in spring.
Did You Know?
Winged elm takes its common name from the corky "wings" often present on its twigs.
