# Winged Elm

*Ulmus alata*

The prominent corky ridges or 'wings' on its twigs grow on opposite sides of the branch, making the tree easy to identify even in the dead of winter.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Rosales › Ulmaceae › Ulmus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Dry, rocky upland woods, clay hills, alluvial flats, and river valleys.
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (Photosynthesis via sunlight, water, and soil nutrients)
- **Range:** Southeastern United States, East Texas, Florida, Southern Indiana, Maryland
- **Size:** 15 - 25 meters tall, with a trunk diameter of 30 - 60 cm
- **Lifespan:** 80 - 150 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Susceptible to Dutch elm disease, elm yellows (phytoplasma), and habitat loss from urban expansion.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. This tree is entirely safe to approach and admire. In early spring, it releases wind-borne pollen which may trigger mild seasonal allergies in sensitive individuals. Do not damage the bark or break branches.

## About

Ulmus alata , the winged elm or wahoo , is a small- to medium-sized deciduous tree endemic to the woodlands of the southeastern and south-central United States. The species is tolerant of a wide range of soils, and of ponding, but is the least shade-tolerant of the North American elms. Its growth rate is often very slow, the trunk increasing in diameter by less than 5 mm (3⁄16 in) per year. The tree is occasionally considered a nuisance as it...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/fe028ce6-1202-4820-b731-53508331244d
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/84292
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulmus alata
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/59102/medium.jpg (Jason Sturner, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.