Appearance

Growth form

A deciduous shade tree 50–80 ft (15–24 m) tall and wide, vase-shaped when young, with a short trunk splitting into upright limbs.

Leaves

Simple, oval, sharply toothed leaves about 2 in (5 cm) long. Fall color varies from yellow and orange to red or burgundy.

Flowers

Tiny, easy-to-miss flowers appear in spring along with the new leaves.

Fruit

Small, wingless fruits ripen from green to brown in late summer to fall.

Look-alikes

Chinese elmUlmus parvifolia

Chinese elm can have similar peeling bark. Its leaves usually have a shorter point; Japanese zelkova leaves taper to a longer, narrow tip.

Chinese hackberryCeltis sinensis

Look at the leaf edge: zelkova has teeth nearly to the base, while Chinese hackberry has teeth mostly toward the tip.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• City streets
• Parks
• Yards

Range

Native to Japan, Korea, and China. In the U.S. it is planted as a street and park tree, including in North Carolina; it grows in USDA zones 5–8.

Preferred conditions

Likes full sun and adapts to many soils. Once established, it handles drought and wind.

Growing it

Care

Trees along streets and parking lots in central North Carolina have sometimes shown crown dieback and cracked bark.

Name and classification

Varieties and forms

Named selections include 'Green Vase,' 'Village Green,' 'Wireless,' and the upright 'Musashino'.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NTNear Threatened·Could become threatened before long

Status

Wild populations face habitat loss and logging.

Culture and stories

Culture and stories

• In the U.S., it has been planted as an alternative to American elm.