Chinese elm

The Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia) is the all-rounder among bonsai: tough, easy to prune and with small leaves that naturally suit a miniature tree. That is why it appears on almost every list of starter trees.

How to recognise it

• Leaves: small, glossy, dark green and finely serrated. In autumn they turn yellow to reddish purple.
• Bark: older trunks develop beautiful, flaking bark in shades of brown, olive and cinnamon.
• Leaves in winter: depending on the temperature it either drops its leaves or keeps them until new growth appears in spring. Both are normal.

Indoors or outdoors?

Both work, and that is what makes it so practical.

• Outdoors: in a temperate climate it can stay outside all year. In winter, protect the pot above all, because roots in a small pot freeze much faster than in the ground.
• Indoors: give it the brightest spot you can. It is happy to go outside in summer. In winter it needs a cool but frost-free room, such as a bright stairwell.

Position and light

Sun to partial shade. The brighter it stands, the more compact it grows.

Watering

There is no fixed schedule. Water as soon as the top of the soil is dry, then thoroughly, until water runs out of the bottom. The elm copes with short dry spells better than with soil that is always wet. How to check properly is explained in our bonsai care guide.

Feeding

Feed regularly during the growing season from spring into autumn. In a cold winter, while it rests, it takes a break.

Pruning

The elm takes pruning very well and buds back even from old wood.

• Young shoots: let a shoot grow 3 to 4 leaves, then cut it back to 1 or 2 leaves.
• Thick branches: best in late autumn.

Wiring

The elm wires well. Do not leave the wire on for more than one growing season, or it will cut into the bark.

Repotting

Young trees about every 2 years, older ones less often. Spring is best. Trim the roots carefully and not too hard. Ordinary, free-draining bonsai soil is fine.

When something is wrong

• Spider mites and scale insects: appear mainly in dry air. Spraying the tree with water regularly helps prevent them.
• Careful with sprays: some products, such as diluted lime sulphur or systemic pesticides, can make the elm drop all its leaves.
• Dutch elm disease: the Chinese elm is largely resistant to this feared fungal disease.

For more help, see the Bonsai Doctor.

In Japan

In Japan the Chinese elm also grows wild, from the main island of Honshū down to Okinawa. There it is called アキニレ (akinire), the "autumn elm": unlike most elms it does not flower in spring but in late summer and autumn, although the tiny flowers are hardly noticeable. The name is also written with the characters 榔楡, which you can see at the top of this page. Because its shape resembles the Japanese zelkova (keyaki), it is also known there as カワラケヤキ, the "riverbank zelkova".

Toxic to pets?

We could not find reliable information on this. To be safe, do not let dogs and cats nibble the leaves.

Growing your own

Cuttings are the easiest way. Seed works too, but takes much longer.