1. Eastern Parkway Entrance Area

Smooth-Leaf Elm (Ulmus carpinifolia)

Leafy Green Diet

Smooth-leaf elms were once widespread throughout Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, and their leaves, rich in minerals, starch, and protein, were the preferred livestock feed for farmers dating back to the Bronze and Iron ages. Smooth-leaf elms are particularly hardy; they can grow up to 100 feet tall and are capable of withstanding extreme heat and cold, pollution, and poor soil. No longer the staple diet of cattle, smooth-leaf elms are thoroughly urbanized—you'll see them gracing many city sidewalks.

Nightmare for Elm Trees

Elms, sadly, are not invincible. The fungus Ophiostoma ulmi, carried by elm bark beetles, has killed millions of elms. The fatal infection caused by the fungus is called "Dutch elm disease," after the Dutch scientists who identified it in 1919. Dutch elm disease ravaged Europe's elms, eventually killing 25 million trees in England alone. By the 1940s, the fungus was emptying American towns and cities of Ulmus americana, one of our native elm species. Outbreaks continue to occur around the world, but some elm hybrids and species—like the Ulmus carpinifolia—are fairly resistant to the disease.

Notable Neighbors:

• 1A. Monarch birch (Betula maximowicziana)
• 1B. Sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima)
• 1C. Atlas cedar (Cedrus libani ssp. atlantica)
• 1D. Carolina silverbell (Halesia carolina)
• 1E. Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia)

The smooth-leaf elm is named for the glossy texture of its nutrient-rich leaves. (Photo by Romi Ige)

Today, another threat to city trees is the Asian long-horned beetle (shown here), which made its first appearance in the U.S. in Brooklyn. Maples are the most susceptible to the beetle's destruction, but horse chestnuts, willows, and elms are also at risk. (Photo by New Jersey Department of Agriculture)