Collected elm update progress of a few trees

I've posted a couple of these before. The progressions below are of winged elm; the best native deciduous species in North America! I hope you enjoy these native trees.

The first tree is new to me, collected 25 years ago by my friend in Tulsa Oklahoma. Still very wild, I'd like to keep it that way and find a nice round pot for it.




The second tree: Collected 3.5 years ago. I've been working it for 2 years now. This is perhaps my favorite tree of all my elms. I will be shopping for pots this winter.
Winter 2009

Winter 2010

3 weeks ago



The 3rd tree:
Winter 2009

Winter 2010

Winter 2011 Goes without saying it needs a trim and to be wired again



Fourth tree: Big Daddy
March 2010



February 2011 (9 months ago)


2 Weeks ago. Will be repotted next spring, I'll spend the year carving and filling in the apex and smaller branches. I love this tree.

Good stuff Neil.
The "Big Daddy" tree has kind of a soft spot for me.
Not sure my back will ever be the same.

Chappy,
I hear you! Not sure what I was thinking.....sorry to put you through all of that!

We need to plan to get together soon!

Happy Thanksgiving to you & Mary.

Great trees Neil, i think the second one( your fav) is my favourite .

I like those wing elms ... lots of character! I cansee why they are your favorite.
I wonder if where I could find one?
Todd

Great robust looking tree nice texture with the bark.

Todd, there is a ton of em down here, yet they tend to be along the interstate and not in the cattle fields. And several farms I have permission on are loaded with cattle pruned privet yet not winged elm. Ill let you know if I find any hot spots. Im not sure how to get permission on collecting from interstate 81, do you have any ideas? alex

Nice to see these have done well My few collected chalk barks have made good progress as well. Big Daddy is
tasty

Any chance you can post an update picture of Big Daddy?

I am stoked since my cedar elm (recently dug) share the general shape and form of Big Daddy!

Great trees.

Poink,
The last photo of the "big daddy" is the most recent as it was wired just 8 weeks ago or so. Next year's photos after leaf drop will be a treat though. Judging from my past experience, the second year of regrowing new branches is very productive for ramification.

Bucknbonsai,
You should be all over those cattle pruned privets.

Neil

Very cool especially the second one.

neil,
the privets are crazy, there must be thousands of extremely ramified flat top style privets about 2.5feet tall and 3 feet wide. they basically look like umbrellas with a very tight dome. A lot have multiple trunks. I started tagging them then realized they are almost all identical. The only problem is that I think when they first grew, the cattle must not have been in the fields because the inside portions are relatively strait with all the ramification out on the tips. to cut them back past the long strait portions you would basically be removing all of the years of ramified pruning the cattle have done. The other thing, is that I can only keep up with a few privet bonsai, having a whole collection of them would be quite a task with trying to control their growth. Im considering planting a bunch of trident seedlings in the field and coming back in 10 years.

Sounds like a good plan. I wonder if cattle like tridents? You could throw in some crab apples as well!

Just what specifically is a "winged elm"?

Ulmus alata...Its a native species to the midwest, and southern region of North America. The received the common name because branches develop ridges along their length that resemble "corky" wings. If you look closely at some of the photos you'll see them.

They are impervious to being collected, they withstand drought, and sweltering heat. They ramify well, develop small leaves and short internodes.

I believe they are the best native deciduous tree in North America....not that I've worked with them all. But the winged elm is near the top of the list.

Neil,

Had I not known, I would think you are describing cedar elm. I wonder how closely related they are. FYI, some cedar elms also have winged branches or is it possible the ones I am seeing are hybrids?

Thanks for showing the progression of these beautiful trees!

Chris