Leaf
Abrahami, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 2.5
Japanese zelkova
Zelkova serrata (Thunb.) Makino
Also known as: Keaki
Family: Ulmaceae
20 to 30 m tall
Planted as an urban street tree, resistant to Dutch elm disease
Flowering: April (inconspicuous, barely visible flowering)
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to about -20°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Very close to the elm in appearance, the zelkova is now planted in towns in its place because it resists Dutch elm disease, the fungal disease that decimated European elms.
🍃 Leaves
Deciduous, ovate, saw-toothed, resembling those of the elm, turning orange-bronze in autumn
🌸 Flowers
Tiny, greenish, of no ornamental interest
🍎 Fruits
Small dry drupe, barely visible
🪵 Bark
Grey, smooth, flaking into small plates with age, revealing orange cork
🗺️ Distribution
Native to Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan
🐝 Value for pollinators
Inconspicuous flowering with little nectar, of no notable interest to pollinators.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Used as a replacement tree for the field elm in towns since the Dutch elm disease epidemics, as it is resistant to the disease
🌿 Other Ulmaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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