Frontier (Hybrid) Elm
Arbor walk #44, Treekeeper ID #2942
The Frontier Elm is a cultivar of Ulmus parvifolia, called the Chinese or Lacebark Elm, which is native to much of Eastern Asia. This cultivar has been developed for its good resistance to the deadly Dutch elm disease, elm yellows, and the elm leaf beetle. This medium-sized tree is hardy and tolerant to drought, heat, and poor soil which make it well suited as a replacement for the many elms used residential landscapes and city streets that in the future will no longer be viable due to disease and climate change.
| Common Name | Frontier Elm |
|---|---|
| Latin Name | Ulmus minor x Ulmus parvifolia |
| Indigenous Name(s) | |
| Cultivar/Variety | ‘Frontier’ |
| Commercial Name |
Global Distribution of Lacebark Elm (parent to the Frontier Elm)
Global Distribution of Field Elm (parent to the Frontier Elm)
GPS Coordinates
N/A
Percent Concrete
N/A
Distance to Buildings
| Year | Close Building #1 | Close Building #2 | Close Building #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Mallinkrodt, 27.61 m | Danforth University Center, 38.43 m | Stix International House, 55.24 m |
Distance to Other Species
| Year | Close Species #1 | Close Species # 2 | Close Species # 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Magnolia, 5.37 m | Paw Paw, 3.79 m | Paw Paw, 3.45 m |
Standard Measurements
| Year | Height (m) | DBH (cm) | Caliper (m) | Crown Diameter N-S (m) | Crown Diameter E-W (m) | Average Crown Diameter (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 10.6786 | 26.3 | N/A | 9.92 | 7.93 | 8.925 |
| 2023 | 14 | 31.2?? | N/A | 10.2 | 8.45 | 9.325 |
Nests and Pests
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 small round gall fused to branch 2 bagworms 1 ootheca/gall/coccoon fused to branch |
Leaf Identification
The leaves of the ‘Frontier’ Elm have toothed edges and an asymmetrical shape. They are a shiny dark green that turn to purplish-red in the fall. They have an alternate leaf arrangement.
Twig and Bud Identification
The twig is light gray and slightly zig zag. The bud is reddish-brown with a conical tip and covered halfway by scales.
Bark Identification
The ‘Frontier’ Elm has smooth, greenish-gray bark with orange lenticels (pores). Younger branch have orange-brown horizontal notches.
Fruit Identification
The ‘Frontier’ Elm has flat, circular winged samaras. However, fruiting is rare, given the low flowering and seed output observed from this hybrid.
[photo forthcoming]
Flower Identification
As mentioned before, flowering is uncommon, so blooms are irregular. When they do bloom, they do so in the fall. The flowers are small, pink-purple, and with elongated dark purple stamens. The flowers are clustered together and sprout from the stem nearly directly.
