Side by side
Chinese elm or Japanese zelkova? How to tell them apart
Ulmus parvifolia · Zelkova serrata
How to tell them apart – Chinese elm: small elm with a small, glossy, leathery leaf, flaking mottled bark and flowers in late summer; Japanese zelkova: larger leaf with regular, sharp teeth, and wingless fruits.
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How do you recognise them?
- Chinese elm
- Small elm with a small, glossy, leathery leaf, flaking mottled bark and flowers in late summer.
- Japanese zelkova
- Elm-like tree with a vase-shaped crown, a leaf with regular, sharp teeth and smooth grey bark.
- Compared with Chinese elm: larger leaf with regular, sharp teeth, and wingless fruits.
| Chinese elm | Japanese zelkova | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, 2–5 cm, elliptic with a slightly lopsided base, singly scalloped, leathery and glossy dark green; stays on the tree for a long time in mild winters. | Alternate, 5–12 cm, elliptic with a long pointed tip, singly toothed with 8–14 pairs of regular, sharp teeth; base barely lopsided. Autumn colour yellow to orange-red. |
| Flowering | Small, inconspicuous flowers in the leaf axils, in August–September (August–September). | Inconspicuous greenish flowers in April, with the leaves (April). |
| Fruit | Small winged fruits about 1 cm long, ripe in October–November. | Small, wingless drupes 4–5 mm across. |
| Bark | Flakes off in small pieces, leaving a mosaic of grey, orange-brown and green, as in a plane tree. | Smooth and grey with lenticels, like a beech; on older trees flaking in patches with orange-brown blotches. |
| Shape and height | Broadleaf tree, 10–15 m | Broadleaf tree, 15–25 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal | Full sun, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | November–February | November–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Japanese zelkova grows 15–25 m tall: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: Chinese elm
- Plant profile: Japanese zelkova
- Chinese elm: when and how to prune
- Japanese zelkova: when and how to prune
- Identification key
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Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.