Brush - Range & Pasture - Elm (Winged and Cedar Elm)

BES-TEX BRUSH ID GUIDE

Elm

Winged Elm and Cedar Elm

Ulmus alata and Ulmus crassifolia

Perennial Woody Brush

Plant Type

Tree; elm family (Ulmaceae)

Life Cycle

Perennial; native

Leaf Habit

Deciduous

Typical Height

Winged elm: up to 60 ft (Texas A&M)
Cedar elm: [PLACEHOLDER]

Photo Gallery

Winged elm young tree with zigzag branches and narrow leaves — **Winged Elm Branches** Photo: Jay Sturner from USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Winged elm small, oval, double-toothed leaves — **Winged Elm Leaves** Photo: Jay Sturner from USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cedar elm twig with small, rough, toothed leaves turning yellow in fall — **Cedar Elm Leaves and Fruit** Photo: Mason Brock (Masebrock), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Cedar elm branch with small, stiff, toothed leaves — **Cedar Elm Leaves** Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to Identify It

Quick ID

Leaves

Short stalks, heavily veined, sharply toothed
Uneven leaf base (Texas A&M)
Winged elm: doubly toothed, 1/3 to 3 inches long

Twigs

Winged elm: corky wings on branches and stems (Texas A&M)

Seeds

Winged seeds spread by wind (Texas A&M)

Bark

Usually deep vertical furrows (Texas A&M)

Look-Alikes

Hackberry

Hackberry leaves are sandpaper-rough with mostly smooth edges; elm leaves are sharply toothed with an uneven base (Texas A&M)

Cedar Elm vs. Winged Elm

How to tell them apart: [PLACEHOLDER]

Counter script: "If it is a tree with sharply toothed, lopsided-based leaves and corky wings on the twigs, it is most likely winged elm."

Where It Grows

Texas

Elms grow in most Texas ecoregions (Texas A&M)
Winged elm: Pineywoods, Gulf Prairies, Post Oak Savannah, Blackland Prairies, Cross Timbers, Edwards Plateau (Texas A&M)
Cedar elm: [PLACEHOLDER]

Oklahoma

[PLACEHOLDER]

New Mexico

[PLACEHOLDER]

Sites and soils: Moist areas along creeks, streams, and ponds, plus fence lines and old fields in East Texas; prefers neutral to acidic sands and sandy loams (Texas A&M).

Best Time to Control

The PastureGard HL label lists broadcast timing for elm from late spring through summer. Cut stump treatment can be done after cutting.

Elm is a woody perennial. No pre-emergent herbicide controls elm.

Treatment Methods

Cut Stump

Cut every stem flat, close to (not below) the soil surface
Brush off soil and sawdust, then spray the cut surface and the sides of the stump right away
Example product: Remedy Ultra (Corteva); Brush Busters lists elm and winged elm for this method
Mix (Brush Busters): Remedy Ultra 15% (19 oz per gallon) in diesel or vegetable oil

Foliar (Leaf) Spray

Surmount (Corteva) lists elms
PastureGard HL lists elm except winged elm: 0.5 to 1% + 1 qt nonionic surfactant per 100 gal (label)

Basal Bark (Stem) Spray

Remedy Ultra and PastureGard HL list elm (except winged elm); follow the label
Remedy Ultra alone only suppresses winged elm (Remedy Ultra label)

Individual Plant vs. Broadcast

Density guidance for this plant: [PLACEHOLDER]
Follow the label for broadcast use

Product names are examples only. Always read and follow the product label. For product selection and help, contact BES-TEX at 325.653.1300.

Sources: Brush Busters: How to Avoid Lumps When Treating Cut Stumps (Texas A&M AgriLife) for the Remedy Ultra mix; Surmount label, EPA Reg. No. 62719-480; PastureGard HL label, EPA Reg. No. 62719-637; Remedy Ultra label, EPA Reg. No. 62719-552; Texas A&M Plants of Texas Rangelands.