Ulmus parvifolia 'Chinese Elm'

Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia) is the shade tree for gardens that need canopy quickly and cannot promise perfect conditions. It reaches about 12m tall and 8m wide, and it shrugs off frost, drought, wind, heat and ordinary soil without complaint. The mottled bark, flaking into cream, grey and rust, earns it a place even in winter.

Why you'll love it

• Canopy on a difficult site. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, wind tolerant and comfortable in poor soil, so it establishes where fussier shade trees stall.
• Bark worth a second look. Older trunks flake into a jigsaw of cream, grey and orange brown, best appreciated somewhere you walk past daily.
• Autumn colour, then a light winter. Leaves turn butter yellow before dropping in cool gardens, letting winter sun reach the house beneath.
• Genuinely low maintenance. Once the framework is shaped, a structural prune every third winter is about all it asks.

Where it works best

Shade tree. One tree covers a suburban back lawn. Allow 6m to 8m of clearance from the house, paths and driveways, because the surface roots are vigorous.

Driveways and avenues. Space trees 8m to 10m apart for an even run of canopy without the crowns fighting each other by year ten.

Screening a high outlook. At 12m it blocks a second storey window across the fence, though it screens at canopy height rather than at ground level.

Growing Chinese Elm in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate, Mediterranean and subtropical gardens. In cold districts it drops its leaves cleanly and takes hard frost; further north it holds much of its foliage and behaves as a semi evergreen, so expect less autumn colour in subtropical gardens.

Soil. Undemanding. Clay, sand and compacted builder's fill all work, which is why it is a common street tree. Dig the hole twice the width of the pot, backfill with the native soil, and mulch 75mm deep kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. A deep weekly soak through the first two summers gets the roots down, after which it manages on rainfall in most seasons. A complete slow release fertiliser each early spring for the first three years builds the frame faster.

Pruning. Prune in late winter. Select one leader early, then lift the lower branches gradually as the tree gains height. Rub off suckers from the trunk base and surface roots whenever you see them, because a season of neglect makes the job much harder.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell it in 400mm, 30L, 45L, 100L and 200L. The 400mm and 30L trees are young whips carrying height but little branching, and they suit an avenue where matched trees can grow into the site together. The 45L and 100L sizes arrive with a shaped head, and the 200L is a semi mature tree for shade now rather than in five years.

Trees are staked and packed to travel upright, delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect little visible growth for six weeks, then strong extension through the first warm season. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing a canopy tree for shade
• Compare fast growing shade trees
• Trees for driveways and avenues
• Plants with autumn colour

Common questions

Will the roots damage paving or pipes?

They can. Chinese Elm has vigorous surface roots and it suckers, so keep it at least 6m from paving, driveways, retaining walls and services. In a large open lawn or paddock that vigour is an asset rather than a problem.

Is it deciduous or evergreen?

It depends on where you garden. In cool temperate and Mediterranean areas it is fully deciduous with yellow autumn foliage, while in subtropical gardens it keeps most of its leaves and reads as semi evergreen.

How fast does it grow?

Quickly for a hardwood shade tree. With water through the first two summers you can expect useful shade within five or six years, and slower steady thickening after that.