LEAVES: Alternate, simple, 4″-6″ long, unequal at the base, rather rough on the upper surface; usually soft-hairy below; veins prominent; margin coarsely toothed. Petiole short.
TWIGS: Slender, zigzag, brown, or slightly hairy. Leaf buds 1/8″- 1/4″ long, flattened. Flower buds larger, below leaf buds. Bud scales red-brown, smooth or downy; margins dark.
FRUIT: A seed surrounded by an oval, thin papery wing, 1/2″ long, deeply notched at the tip; ripening in spring and borne in clusters; wing with scattered hairs along margin. Flowers and fruit appear before the leaves, as is true of Slippery elm.
BARK: Dark gray to gray-brown with long corky ridges; separated by diamond-shaped fissures on older trees.
GENERAL: A large and highly prized shade tree. The drooping crown often gives it a vase-shaped appearance. Found locally throughout Pennsylvania, mainly on moist areas. The hard, tough wood has many uses, including the manufacture of boxes, barrels and furniture.
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