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TREES TOLD BY THE FORM: ELM, POPLAR, and WILLOW

How to tell them from other trees: The trees described in this group are so distinctive in their general form that they may, for the purpose of study, be grouped together, and distinguished from all other trees by this characteristic.

How to tell them from each other: The American elm is vase-like in shape; the Lombardy poplar is narrow and spire-like; and the weeping willow is extremely pendulous.



AMERICAN ELM (Ulmus americana)

Distinguishing characters: The tree can be told at a glance by its general branching habit. The limbs arch out into a wide-spreading fan or vase-like crown which loses itself in numerous fine drooping branchlets.

Leaf: The leaves are simple, alternate, and from 2 to 5 inches long.
Leaves are Serrated and Come to a Point
Form and size: It is a tall tree with a trunk that divides a short distance above ground. Its general contour, together with the numerous branches that interlace its massive crown, give the elm an interesting and stately appearance which is unequaled by any other tree.
Ulmus americana in the Winter
Range: Eastern North America.
Range map of Ulmus americana
Soil and location: The elm prefers a deep, rich and moist soil, but will adapt itself even to the poor soil of the city street.
Ulmus americana Seeds
Enemies: The leopard moth, a wood-boring insect, and the elm leaf beetle, a leaf-eating insect, are the two most important enemies of the tree. Their ravages are very extensive.
The Leopard Moth
Value for planting: The tree has a character of its own which cannot be duplicated for avenue or lawn planting.

Commercial value: The wood is strong and tough and therefore has a special value (historically) for cooperage, agricultural implements, carriages, and shipbuilding.
The Bark of the Ulmus americana
Other characters: The buds are small, brown, and smooth, while those of the European elms are covered with down. The small side twigs come out at almost right angles to the larger terminal twigs, which is not the case in other species of elm.
Elm Leaves, Buds, and Seeds
Other common names: White elm.

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read the lesson.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Recite aloud the vocabulary words and their definitions.
  • Learn the concepts.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Lesson 2 overviews the elm tree, which grow to create a beautiful arching tunnel when planted on both sides of the street. Note: In modern times, Dutch elm disease has devastated the elm tree. Dutch elm disease is a fungal disease spread by elm bark beetles.

Vocabulary

Spire: A sharp or tapering point.
Pendulous: Having branches that bend downwards, drooping or weeping.
Crown (tree): The top of a tree.
Cooperage: The art or trade of a craftsman who makes and repairs barrels and similar wooden vessels such as casks, buckets and tubs.
Bud: A newly sprouted leaf or blossom that has not yet unfolded.
Simple Leaf: A leaf that has an undivided blade, therefore having no leaflets.
Compound Leaf: A leaf that has a fully subdivided blade, therefore having leaflets.

Concepts

PARTS OF A LEAF

The elm tree has simple leaves, or those that have an undivided blade with no leaflets.

The diagram labels parts of a leaf.

  1. Apex
  2. Midvein (Primary vein)
  3. Secondary vein
  4. Lamina
  5. Leaf margin
  6. Petiole
  7. Bud
  8. Stem

Compare the simple leaf with the compound leaf of the mountain ash, which is divided into leaflets.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Lesson

  • After reading or listening to the lesson, narrate the lesson aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Study the Lesson Pictures

  • Study the lesson pictures and describe how they relate to the lesson.

Activity 3: Take a Nature Walk

  • Bring a small sketchbook and a specimen collection bag and embark on a nature walk.
  • Find a tree with simple leaves.
  • Study and sketch the appearance and habitat of the tree.
  • Collect one or more simple leaves from the tree as specimens.
  • Use the gathered specimens and sketches to create the field book entry.

Activity 4: Complete a Field Book Entry   

After your nature walk, complete pages 7-8 in 'Science Field Book for Fourth Grade.'

Review

Question 1

What is the difference between a simple leaf and a compound leaf?
1 / 6

Answer 1

A compound leaf is divided into leaflets and a simple leaf is not.
1 / 6

Question 2

What do Dutch elm disease, the leopard moth, and the elm leaf beetle have in common?
2 / 6

Answer 2

The Dutch elm disease, the leopard moth, and the elm leaf beetle are all pests of the elm tree.
2 / 6

Question 3

What is the common name of the Ulmus americana?
3 / 6

Answer 3

The common name of the Ulmus americana is the elm tree.
3 / 6

Question 4

Guess how the leopard moth got its name?
4 / 6

Answer 4

The leopard moth is spotted like a leopard, which likely inspired its name.
4 / 6

Question 5

Where do elm trees commonly grow in the United States?
5 / 6

Answer 5

Elm trees commonly grow in the eastern part of the United States.
5 / 6

Question 6

Is the leaf of the elm tree simple or compound?
6 / 6

Answer 6

The leaf of the elm tree is simple.
6 / 6

  1. What is the difference between a simple leaf and a compound leaf? A compound leaf is divided into leaflets and a simple leaf is not.
  2. What do Dutch elm disease, the leopard moth, and the elm leaf beetle have in common? The Dutch elm disease, the leopard moth, and the elm leaf beetle are all pests of the elm tree.
  3. What is the common name of the Ulmus americana? The common name of the Ulmus americana is the elm tree.
  4. Guess how the leopard moth got its name? The leopard moth is spotted like a leopard, which likely inspired its name.
  5. Where do elm trees commonly grow in the United States? Elm trees commonly grow in the eastern part of the United States.
  6. Is the leaf of the elm tree simple or compound? The leaf of the elm tree is simple.

References

  1. 'Studies of Trees' by Jacob Joshua Levison. gutenberg.org/ebooks/16116. n.p.
  2. 'Leaf Diagram by Jessekar0524 (CC BY-SA 4.0).' Wikipedia. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leaf,_Bud,_and_Stem_Diagram.svg. n.p.
  3. 'Poplar Range Map by Jessekar0524 (CC BY 4.0).' Wikipedia. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Populus_nigra_range.svg. n.p.

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