Elm

Family Ulmaceae. Name: derived from the Celtic name vyaza - 'elm', rendered into Russian variously: vyaz, ilm, berest, karagach, and ilmovik, but these are the names of different species included in this genus.

Description: the genus includes about 16 species, growing in the temperate belt of Europe, Asia, North America and in the mountains of tropical Asia.

Usually these are large trees with a rounded or elliptical, spreading, dense crown; with simple, alternate, rather large, mostly inequilateral leaves on short petioles. They flower before the leaves unfold. The flowers are small, inconspicuous, in clusters. The fruits are winged nutlets, ripening a few weeks after flowering. As the seeds quickly lose their viability, they are sown immediately after collection.

Elms do not tolerate deep shading, but themselves cast quite dense shade. In youth they grow relatively quickly. For successful growth they require fresh, fertile, loose soil, but they also tolerate extremely dry conditions. They tolerate pruning well, are long-lived under favorable conditions, and are often damaged by pests and diseases. Long used in landscaping, in gardens and parks, in group and solitary plantings. Cultivated since ancient times and having many garden forms that are propagated by grafting onto the main species.

based on materials from the website www.ultradrome.narod.ru