Ulmus macrocarpa
Family: Ulmaceae
What it is like
Ulmus macrocarpa is a deciduous Tree growing to 10 m (32ft 10in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from May to June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 10
Where it is found
Sunny dry rocky mountain slopes in W. China. Mixed forests, slopes, valleys at elevations of 700 - 800 metres.
E. Asia - China, Japan.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Leaves - raw or cooked. The fruits are eaten in sauces. An emergency food, they are only used when all else fails.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The seed is anthelmintic, antidote, digestive, febrifuge, parasiticide, skin. The bark contains tannins. It is astringent and has antimicrobial activities. It is used in the treatment of chronic diarrhoea and internal parasites]279].
Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.
Antidote: Counters poisoning.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Digestive: Aids digestion.
Parasiticide: Treats external parasites such as ringworm This should perhaps be joined with Parasiticide in
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Other
Rating:
Used externally on body parasites. No more details.
Parasiticide: Kills external body parasites such as hair lice.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
How it is grown
Prefers a fertile soil in full sun, but is easily grown in any soil of at least moderate quality so long as it is well drained. This species is resistant to 'Dutch elm disease', a disease that has destroyed the greater part of all the elm trees growing in Britain. The disease is spread by means of beetles. There is no effective cure (1992) for the problem, but most E. Asian, though not Himalayan, species are resistant (though not immune) to the disease so the potential exists to use these resistant species to develop new resistant hybrids with the native species. The various species of this genus hybridize freely with each other and pollen is easily saved, so even those species with different flowering times can be hybridized.
Propagating it: Seed - if sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe, it usually germinates within a few days. Stored seed does not germinate so well and should be sown in early spring. The seed can also be harvested 'green' (when it has fully developed but before it dries on the tree) and sown immediately in a cold frame. It should germinate very quickly and will produce a larger plant by the end of the growing season. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Plants should not be allowed to grow for more than two years in a nursery bed since they form a tap root and will then move badly. Layering of suckers or coppiced shoots.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy; Secondary;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Dry, moist