Elm, Cork

This tree is known locally as the Cork Elm or the Ulmus thomasil. In other regions, however, people refer to it as the Rock Elm. It gets this name from its extremely strong wood. In fact, woodsmen preferred to make axe handles out of this wood and today it is used to make hocky sticks. If you look up, you can see its narrow, undivided crown. This tree can reach 90 feet in height and live for 200 years! The corky ridges that grow on this tree are attractive for nesting birds and are the reason for its midwestern name of Cork Elm. Take a look at the leaves on this tree. They are dark green and can be smooth or rough on top and pale and hairy on the bottom. The Cork Elm's flowers grow in mahogany colored clusters. If you pay close attention, you'll notice thick, interlacing ridges on the bark. If you touch them, you'll notice they are quite spongy.