Winged Elm

Ulmus alata

These small-to-medium sized deciduous trees are easily recognizable by the winged shaped growths on the stems.  They are commonly found throughout the southeastern United States. The wood from Winged Elms is rarely used because of the small size of the trees. However, it is sometimes used to make high quality hockey sticks. 

The following identification information is from Trees of Alabama, a Gosse Nature Guide by Lisa J. Samuelson. Use of this text was permitted by the University of Alabama. Order your own copy of this great guide to Alabama’s trees here: https://www.amazon.com/Trees-Alabama-Gosse-Nature-Guides/dp/0817359419

Winged Elm Ulmus alata Michx.  

COMMON NAMES winged elm, cork elm, wahoo, small-leaved elm, hard elm  

QUICK GUIDE Leaves alternate, simple, elliptical, apex acute, base slightly inequilateral, margin doubly serrate; twigs often with corky wings; fruit an elliptical, pubescent, notched samara; bark gray-brown with flattened or scaly ridges.  

DESCRIPTION Leaves are alternate, simple, deciduous, elliptical or lanceolate, and 3-8 cm (1.2-3.1 in) long; apex is acute; base is slightly inequilateral; margin is doubly serrate; upper side is smooth or sometimes scabrous; autumn color is yellow. Twigs slightly zigzag and are slender, red-brown, and mostly glabrous, with lenticels and often with corky wings; leaf scar is semicircular with three or more bundle scars. A true terminal bud is lacking; lateral bud is acute, about 3 mm (0.1 in) long, and divergent; scales are red-brown, overlapping, and mostly glabrous. Flowers are perfect, in yellow-red to purplish clusters, and bloom in the spring before the leaves. Fruit is a samara, elliptical, 5-10 mm (0.2-0.4 in) long, and deeply notched at the apex; margin has dense white pubescence; fruit matures before or with the leaves. Bark of small trees has gray corky or scaly ridges; bark of large trees is gray-brown to red-brown with flattened, possibly scaly ridges. The growth form is up to 15 m (50 ft) in height and 61 cm (23.6 in) in diameter with drooping branches.  

HABITAT A wide variety of sites such as stream edges, floodplains, open fields, and sandy uplands.  

NOTES Forest associates of winged elm are numerous and site dependent. The wood is brown or red-brown, heavy, hard, and shock resistant, and is used for boxes, crates, furniture, posts, fuel, and hockey sticks. The seed is eaten by birds and small mammals.  

Ulmus is Latin for “elm tree”; alata means “winged,” referring to the twigs.  

SIMILAR SPECIES September elm (Ulmus serotina Sarg.) is an uncommon tree found in northern Alabama that flowers in the summer and fruits in the autumn and has twigs with corky wings. The leaves of September elm are scabrous on the upper surface and have coarse teeth on the margin, and the fruit has long silvery hairs.