Common Name: Cherry Bark Elm

General Information

Ulmus villosa is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 25 metres tall[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood. It is commonly planted in India in order to provide shade.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - Himalayas of Pakistan and western India.

Habitat

Found at elevations from 1,200 - 3,500 metres in the Himalayas[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	25.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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 susceptible to 'Dutch elm disease'[], a disease that has destroyed the greater part of all the native elm trees growing in countries such as Britain and USA. The disease is spread by means of beetles. Mature trees killed back by the disease will often regrow from suckers, but these too will succumb when they get larger. 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[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked. We have no specific information for this species, but the very young leaves of all Ulmus species can be eaten, and generally have a mild flavour[].

Medicinal

Collectively, the bark of all species in the genus Ulmus may have anti-inflammatory effects in the gut[].

Other Uses

The wood is hard, somewhat scented. It is used for furniture[].

Propagation

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[].