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American Elm - 100 Most Common North American Trees

By Steve Nix, About.com

4 of 5

The Silviculture and Management of American Elm

American Elm in Central Park, NYC

American Elm in Central Park, NYC

Steve Nix/About.com
"Once a very popular and long-lived (300+ years) shade and street tree, American Elm suffered a dramatic decline with the introduction of Dutch elm disease, a fungus spread by a bark beetle.
The wood of American Elm is very hard and was a valuable timber tree used for lumber, furniture and veneer. The Indians once made canoes out of American Elm trunks, and early settlers would steam the wood so it could be bent to make barrels and wheel hoops. It was also used for the rockers on rocking chairs. Today, the wood that can be found is used mainly for making furniture.
American Elm should be grown in full sun on well-drained, rich soil. If you plant American Elm, plan on implementing a monitoring program to watch for symptoms of Dutch elm disease. It is vital to the health of existing trees that a program be in place to administer special care to these disease-sensitive trees. Propagation is by seed or cuttings. Young plants transplant easily." - From Fact Sheet on American Elm - USDA Forest Service

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