Winged Elm

As its common and scientific names imply, winged elm is most easily recognized by the very broad, thin pair of corky wings that form along the branchlets after a couple of years. The tree generally grows to a maximum height and breadth of about 13 m × 13 m (43 ft × 43 ft), although on fertile alluvial soils such as those of the Mississippi River Delta, some specimens have reached double this height (see 'Notable trees' below). The crown can be either rounded or pyramidal; the branches are pendulous. The leaves are comparatively small for the genus, less than 6.5 cm (2+1⁄2 in) long and less than 2.0 cm (3⁄4 in) broad, oblong-lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, thin in texture, and smooth above with serrate or doubly serrate margins. The leaves turn bright yellow in Autumn. The wind-pollinated perfect apetalous flowers are borne on long pedicels in March and April before the leaves appear. The reddish samaras are also relatively small, less than 8 mm (5⁄16 in) long, narrowly elliptic with two long incurving stigmas at the tip, and usually disperse before the end of April.

Ulmus alata is of minimal commercial significance, its hard timber considered no more remarkable than that of other American elms, and of limited use because of the commonly small size of the trees. However, owing to its resistance to splitting, it is used to make high-quality hockey sticks.

Ulmus alata is rarely cultivated beyond its natural range. It remains in commercial production in the US, and is occasionally available in Europe. At the beginning of the 19th century, the tree was one of the three American elm species cultivated in ornamental plantations in Britain, but is now rare there. Several specimens are grown in New Zealand.