Handbook of Nature-Study · Lesson CXCI · Topic 28: Tree study
191. The elm
Goal: Your child can recognize an elm by its vase shape and its rough, lopsided leaves.
You'll need
- An elm to visit, or elm leaves
- A hand lens (magnifying glass)
- A nature notebook and a pencil (colored pencils if you have them)
What's in the book
The lesson has a leading thought, a method that runs from autumn to spring, and eight observations on the elm's shape, leaves, color, roots and wood, other kinds of elms, birds, and its early flowers and seeds.
The lesson, step by step
When and where
Begin in fall, when the tree is in autumn color, and sketch it again bare in winter. The book says the blossoms come in March and April and the seeds in May. Elms like moist ground.
The leading thought
The elm has a peculiarly graceful form, which makes it of value as a shade tree. It grows best in moist locations. Its wood is very tough.
The shape
What is the usual shape of the elm? How does the trunk divide into branches to make this shape possible?
An old American elm looks like a vase or a fountain: the trunk splits into several big limbs that rise and arch outward.
The leaf
Are the leaves rough above whichever way you stroke them? If a leaf is folded lengthwise are the two halves exactly alike?
Look at the base of the leaf: one side starts lower on the stem than the other.
Birds and seeds
What birds love to build in the elm trees?
Which appear first, the blossoms or the leaves?
Elm seeds are flat, round and papery, with the seed in the middle. Look for them on sidewalks in late spring.
What we know now
When this book was written, great elms shaded thousands of American streets. Dutch elm disease, a fungus spread by beetles, reached North America around 1930 and killed most of them. You may have to look in parks or along rivers, and many elms planted today are kinds that resist the disease.
Nature notebook
Draw the vase shape of an elm, then a leaf with its uneven base. Write how the leaf feels on top.
Answers to the book's problems
The usual shape is a vase or fountain, made by a trunk that splits into several rising, arching limbs. The leaves are rough (like sandpaper on some elms), and the two halves are not alike: the base is lopsided. Orioles often hang their nests from elm branches. The flowers come before the leaves.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.