Chinese Elm - Ulmus parvifolia
 General Information: Chinese elm is fast growing, deciduous or
evergreen depending on its location, forms a graceful
upright rounded
canopy with shiny, dark green leathery leaves. elm is
moderatly salt
tolerant. Several dwarf varieties, sports of Ulmus
parvifolia, exist
which grow slower than the ordinary Chinese elm but it
produces a much
finer network of twigs and branches. It is these sports
which are used
for bonsai.
Family: Ulmaceae.
Lighting: Will grow in
full sun or partial shade.
Temperature: Zones 5B -
10A. More restricted zones may apply to some of the
dwarf varieties.
Watering: Needs a lot
of water.
Fertilizing:
To retain and produce small leaves, do not feed
high
nitrogen fast-acting fertilizers. Feeding three times a
year is
sufficient to maintain good color and healthy growth
without enlarging
the size of the leaves.
Pruning and wiring:
Most shaping can be done by pruning. The bark is
thin and may be damaged easily.
Propagation: Because
these dwarf varieties are sports of another
plant, they can only be propagated by cutting or
layering. Cuttings
may be made from new tip growth taken in early summer.
Repotting: They
transplant well. Any type of soil with good drainage
seems to grow them well. They have heavy root growth so
must have root
room.
Pests and diseases:
Boreres and chewing insects seem to be the only
pests bothering the plant. Cankers may develop on young
trunks where
soil is excessively wet.
Some species suitable for bonsai:
Ulmus parvifolia, var 'Catlin', is a sport of the common
Chinese elm.
It is partly evergreen in mild climate and evergreen in
the south. Its
leaves are a 1/4" to 3/4" long and are a shiny dark
green, lanceolate
and smaller than zelkova. John Catlin, a landscape
designer in
California, found this sport on an Ulmus parvifolia or
Chinese elm in
a nursery in about 1953. Jim Barrett named it Catlin Elm
to honor the
man who found it and to separate it from the Chinese
elm.
Ulmus parvifolia ,var 'Drake', USDA Hardiness zone 7 to
9. has small,
dark green leaves, sweeping, upright branches forming a
rounded crown
and greater leaf retention being almost evergreen in CA
and FL.
Ulmus parvifolia, var 'Dynasty', has smooth dark grey
bark, smaller
leaves and is vase-shaped, with red fall color in the
north.
Ulmus parvifolia, var 'Frosty', has a small (.75 inch
long)
white-margined leaf which may revert back to green.
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