Growth Habits for Wheeping Chinese Elm

Identification

• The Weeping Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia 'Sempervirens') is a cultivar of the Chinese elm. Its growth habits make it a prime specimen for use in the landscape. Referred to as "weeping" because its branches tend to droop even more than the parent species, the tree can be either deciduous or evergreen; in the colder sections of its range the Weeping Chinese elm drops its leaves, but retains them in the warmer growing areas.

Geography

• In the colder sections of the U.S., the tree's leaves take on a yellow, purple or red color. These growth habits of the Weeping Chinese elm are dictated by the hardiness zone in which it resides; the tree thrives best in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 8a through 10b. It develops a canopy of long, weeping branches accentuated by dark, green leaves that grow 2 to 3 inches long and are leathery to the touch.

Growth Rate

• The Weeping Chinese elm typically grows between 40 and 50 feet tall, although it may occasionally reach 80 feet, with a canopy spread of 35 to 50 feet. This expansive height and width allows the dense crown to provide abundant shade, making it a useful specimen in parking lot islands and along streets without sidewalks. Its growth rate--between 13 and 24 inches annually--is considered moderate.

Roots

• The growth habits of the Weeping Chinese elm's root system demands that the tree not be planted adjacent to building foundations, sidewalks or streets. The roots grow thick, stretch a considerable distance from the trunk, and grow close to the surface, allowing them to easily lift pavement and snake into sewer lines. It grows in a wide range of soils and tolerates extremes in heat, cold and moisture.