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Elm

Ulmus spp.

Elm is a vegetable in the Ulmaceae family. It grows best in full sun with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 3-9.

Varieties

1 · sorted by days to maturity
  • Elm

    PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Shade tree (seed/grafted) (not in original seed catalog). Use: Classic vase-shaped shade tree. Note: Choose Dutch elm disease-resistant cultivars.

    Elm (Ulmus) is a fast classic shade tree with an arching vase shape; because of Dutch elm disease, modern resistant cultivars and hybrids are the recommended choice.

    Growing notes: Botanical name: Ulmus spp.|Hardiness zones: 3-9|Propagation: seed or grafting|Light: Full sun|Water: Medium|Mature size: 40-70 feet

Family
Ulmaceae
Category
Vegetable
Form
Shrub
Lifecycle
perennial
Zone
3-9
Height
40–70 ft
Spread
30–60 ft
Sun
Full sun
Water
Medium

Plan your elm planting

Add elm to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.

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At a glance

Frost tolerance
Hardy · to ~-40°F
Lowest temperature the foliage usually survives

Storing & preserving

Most keep best refrigerated; storage crops prefer a cool, dry spot.

  • Freeze: Blanch briefly, cool, then freeze — keeps color and texture.
  • Can: Pressure-can low-acid vegetables; water-bath only pickled/acidified ones.

General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Growing timeline

Propagation
Seed
Schedule anchor
Last Frost

Care & troubleshooting

No curated care & troubleshooting advice for elm yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.