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Japanese Zelkova

Japanese Zelkova

Native to Japan, Taiwan, Eastern China, and Korea, the Japanese zelkova displays a narrow, vase-shaped, upward-branched foliage. It is used as a commercial timber tree in Japan, but is commonly used in the United States as a street or shade tree. These trees grow best in moist loam soils in full sun, and can tolerate some drought and urban conditions. This tree has increased in popularity in recent years as a substitute for the American elm, due to its resistance to Dutch elm disease. Its coarse, ridged leaves turn to shades of yellow, orange, and brown in the fall, while the gray bark exfoliates with age to reveal an orange-brown inner bark.


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