Zelkova serrata sawleaf zelkova

Zelkova serrata on Stanford Ave near Bowdoin Street. Sairus Patel, 20 Oct 2019

Zelkova serrata leaf. John Rawlings, ca. 2005

An elm relative, sawleaf zelkova shows notable resistance to the Dutch elm disease that has so severely thinned native elms across both North America and Europe.

In youth, the bark is smooth and gray, marked by fine horizontal lenticels; with age, patches often flake off to reveal warm orange to cream layers beneath, a pleasing mottled effect. The trunk typically divides into multiple ascending limbs 7–10 feet above ground, forming an attractive broad vase-shaped crown.

Leaves are 3–5 inches long, tapering to a pointed tip, their evenly parallel veins each ending in a tooth, the feature that gives the species its name. The upper surface is slightly rough to the touch. Autumn color is variable, from a deep crimson to orange to a subdued yellow-brown; on some trees, dead leaves may persist in the crown for months, while others drop cleanly. Flowers are inconspicuous, followed by tiny hard drupes.

Campus’s grandest specimens are a pair on the lawn in front of Bing Nursery School. A handsome specimen grows at 825 San Francisco Court. Others flank the central square at the Knight Management Center and line Via Palou.