Sapporo Autumn Gold Elm

Sapporo Autumn Gold Elm (Ulmus 'Sapporo Autumn Gold') is a disease resistant hybrid elm bred to give the classic vase shaped elm canopy without the vulnerability that ruined the old street plantings. It reaches about 12m tall and 8m wide, casting deep summer shade, then turns a clear even gold before dropping its leaves for winter. Growth is quick, which matters when you are planting shade you actually intend to sit under.

Why you'll love it

• Real shade, quickly. A vigorous grower with a broad spreading crown to 8m, so a lawn or courtyard gains genuine cover within several seasons rather than decades.
• Clear gold autumn colour. The whole canopy turns an even butter gold, more uniform than most deciduous trees grown in Australia.
• Bred for disease resistance. It was selected specifically for resistance to the disease that devastated classic elms, which is why it is planted where they no longer are.
• Tough once away. Frost hardy, heat tolerant, wind tolerant and drought tolerant after establishment, so it handles a Canberra winter and an Adelaide summer alike.

Where it works best

Shade tree. This is its main job. Give it 8m of clear space in every direction, well away from the house, and it will shade a lawn, a pool deck or an outdoor room through summer while letting winter sun back in.

Driveways and avenues. Plant 8m to 10m apart along a drive for a canopy that eventually meets overhead.

Feature planting. On a large lawn it stands alone well, with the vase shaped branching on show all winter.

Growing Sapporo Autumn Gold Elm in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. It is at home in cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, which covers Victoria, the ACT, southern New South Wales, South Australia and cooler parts of Western Australia. Autumn colour is strongest where nights turn genuinely cold.

Soil. Adaptable, including clay, provided water does not sit around the roots. Dig a wide hole rather than a deep one and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers to drive roots down, then only in extended dry spells. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring for the first few years is enough.

Pruning. Prune in winter while dormant. Formative pruning in the first three years to set a single leader and a clear trunk saves major work later. Note the roots are vigorous: keep it at least 8m from pipes, paving and paths.

What to expect when it arrives

It is supplied as a 100L advanced tree, which means a tree with a formed trunk and real height on the day it arrives rather than a stick you wait on. Deciduous trees are often dispatched bare of leaves in winter, and that is normal for the season rather than a fault.

Trees this size need staking for the first two years and a generous planting hole. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and plants are delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing between evergreen and deciduous trees
• Browse the deciduous tree range
• Compare trees grown for autumn colour
• When to plant a tree in Australia

Common questions

How close to the house can I plant it?

Keep it at least 8m from buildings, paving and services. The canopy alone reaches 8m wide and the roots are vigorous, so this is a tree for a lawn or a paddock rather than a courtyard.

How fast does it grow?

It is one of the quicker deciduous shade trees, typically putting on close to a metre a year in good soil with water through the first summers. Growth slows as the crown broadens.

Will it colour well in a warm climate?

Colour depends on cold autumn nights. Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and the tablelands give the full clear gold; warmer coastal gardens get a shorter, softer display.