Homestead elm is a hybrid elm with resistance to Dutch elm disease. It was developed by Alden Townsend of the United States National Arboretum at the Nursery Crops Laboratory in Delaware, Ohio in 1970. Homestead is adaptable to a wide range of soil types including poor soils and is reasonably drought tolerant once established. Plant in full sun and away from concrete due to the aggressive root system. It can benefit from pruning to strengthen the form. Homestead will grow up to 60 feet tall and 40 fet wide. Inconspicuous flowers appear in spring followed by winged samara. The dark oval leaves have a yellow fall color. When mature, the arching oval to pyramidal shape makes a great shade or street tree. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Homestead can be susceptible to elm leaf beetle and Japanese beetle. VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Ulmus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in. | Width: 30 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Oval; Pyramidal
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Doubly Serrate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
2-4 inch long and half as wide dark green oval leaves with pointed tips and fine hairs on the undersides. The fall color is straw yellow.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower form
Insignificant; Raceme
Flower detail
Greenish pendulous racemes in the spring
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit type
Samara
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Flat samara are carried by the wind
Bark color
Dark Gray
Bark detail
The bark is smooth and gray, becoming fissured with interlacing flat ridges in old age.
Stem detail
Young stems are brown to gray and smooth.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Hybrid
Wildlife value
Deer resistant
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Samara
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn
Design feature
Shade Tree; Street Tree
Garden tags
#deciduous #street tree #shade tree #fast growing #full sun tolerant #disease resistant #fall interest #poor soil tolerant
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Elm Leaf Beetle; Japanese Beetle; Smaller European Elm Bark Beetle; Elm Sawfly; Larger Elm Leaf Beetle; Native Elm Bark Beetle; Elm Lace Bug; Mourning Cloak Butterfly / Spiny Elm Caterpillar; Elm Leafminer; Elm-Grass Root Aphid; Elm Zigzag Sawfly; Common Insect Pests of Elm in North Carolina