Green Vase zelkova

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light partial shade.

Water

Water regularly while establishing; moderately drought-tolerant once established, but benefits from deep watering during prolonged dry weather.

Soil

Deep, well-drained soil, ideally moist loam; tolerates clay, sandy soil and a fairly wide pH range, but not persistent waterlogging.

Height

60-80 ft (18-24 m)

Spread

40-50 ft (12-15 m)

Foliage

Deciduous, dark green, pointed leaves with sharply toothed edges; autumn colour ranges from yellow and orange to rusty red, depending on climate and growing conditions.

Growth

Moderate to fast when young, slowing with age.

Care needed

Medium

• Drought tolerant
• Disease resistant
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   8 ft (2.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   11 ft (3.4 m)

3. After 2 years

   14 ft (4.4 m)

4. After 3 years

   17 ft (5.3 m)

5. After 5 years

   23 ft (7.1 m)

About 20 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant with the root flare at ground level, well away from buildings, overhead wires and confined paving.
• Water deeply through the first two or three growing seasons, checking the soil before watering again.
• Maintain a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) layer of organic mulch over the root area, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Feed only if poor growth or a soil test indicates a nutrient shortage; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.
• Stake only if the rootball moves in wind, use flexible ties and remove support once the tree is anchored.

Pruning. Prune in late winter while dormant, removing dead, damaged and crossing branches. Train young trees to a strong central leader with well-spaced main branches, gradually shortening competing upright stems; have an arborist handle large limbs and never top the crown.

Autumn

Plant while the soil is workable in mild climates; in very cold regions, wait until spring.

Late winter

Check the branch structure and carry out light formative pruning before buds open.

Spring

Plant in cold regions, refresh mulch and check that ties are not rubbing or constricting the trunk.

Summer

Water young trees deeply during dry spells and check leaves for scorch or pest damage.

Early autumn

Continue watering newly planted trees if conditions remain dry; avoid late nitrogen feeding.

Late autumn

Collect fallen leaves for leaf mould and inspect the trunk and branch unions once the crown is bare.

• Use as a specimen in a large lawn, leaving space for the full vase-shaped crown.
• Plant along a broad drive or avenue where its repeating upright outline creates structure.
• Use in a spacious Japanese-inspired garden with ferns, sedges and restrained evergreen planting.
• Place beside a large terrace to provide summer shade, allowing generous unpaved rooting space.

Garden styles it suits: Japanese, Architectural minimal, Modern, Grand estate, Autumn colour and Traditional.

Plant it with: Japanese forest grass, Epimedium, Christmas fern, Japanese anemone, Lenten rose and Lilyturf.

Wildlife: The crown provides shelter and nesting sites for birds, and the leaves support some feeding insects. Its small, wind-pollinated flowers offer little value to bees.

• Weak, crowded branch unions: train the tree while young, reducing competing upright stems before they become large.
• Leaf scorch or premature leaf drop in drought: water deeply, mulch the root zone and avoid compacting soil beneath the crown.
• Scale insects: inspect twigs for bumps and sticky honeydew; use a locally approved horticultural oil at the appropriate stage if infestation is significant.
• Root decline in waterlogged soil: choose a freely draining site and correct drainage rather than repeatedly watering a struggling tree.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. No part is recognised as seriously poisonous, but the leaves, bark and fruits are not intended as food.

• Japanese elm (Ulmus davidiana var. japonica)

  Elm leaves usually have more noticeably unequal bases, and elms produce flat, winged seeds; zelkova produces small, unwinged fruits.

• Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia)

  Usually has smaller, glossier leaves and flowers in late summer or autumn; Green Vase zelkova has larger, pointed leaves and inconspicuous spring flowers.

• European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)

  Hornbeam has strongly pleated leaves and hanging clusters of fruits with leafy bracts; mature zelkova develops patchy, peeling bark and lacks these fruit clusters.

The species name serrata refers to the saw-toothed leaf edges, while 'Green Vase' describes the cultivar's green summer canopy and vase-shaped branching.

Propagation. Propagated commercially by grafting or by rooting cuttings under controlled conditions. Seedlings will not reliably retain the Green Vase cultivar's shape and other characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Zelkova serrata

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Japan, Korea, Kuril Is., Manchuria and Taiwan.

Measured

Soil pH 6 to 6.9. Average height 995 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.