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Zelkova serrata

Common name:	Japanese Zelkova	Family:	Ulmaceae
Author:	(Thunb.)Makino.	Botanical references:	11, 200, 266
Synonyms:	Zelkova keaki ((Siebold.)Maxim.), Zelkova hirta ((Thunb.)Schneid.), Zelkova formosana (Hayata.), Zelkova acuminata ((Lindl.)Planch.), Corchorus hirtus (non L.), Abelicea hirta ((Thunb.)Schneid.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - E. China, Japan.
Habitat:	Lowlands and mountains of C. and S. Japan[58]. Valleys, beside streams at elevations of 500 - 2000 metres in China[266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Corchorus hirtus var. glabellus[B] Corchorus hirtus var. orinocensis[B] Corchorus orinocensis[B,G] Corchorus pilolobus[G] Corchorus serratus[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Japanese Zelkova [B,H,DEN1,P], Orinoco Jute [B,P],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	serra = toothed; serrata = saw toothed;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Urticales. Elm family

Physical Characteristics

A decidious tree growing to 25m by 10m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 5 and is frost tender. It is in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from September to November. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant). We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy.

Edible Uses

Leaves.

Young leaves - cooked[105, 171].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Wood.

Wood - tough, hard, beautifully grained. Used for tool handles, construction, furniture etc[46, 61, 151].

Cultivation details

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in almost any good soil, acid or alkaline, preferring a deep well-drained moist loam[11, 200]. Prefers a moderately sheltered position[11]. Relatively shade tolerant[200]. A fast growing tree[200].
Dormant plants are very cold-tolerant, but they are sometimes damaged by late spring frosts when they are young[11].
Plants are susceptible to Dutch Elm Disease, but the beetle that is the vector of this disease rarely feeds on Zelkova so infestation is rare[11, 200]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed requires stratification and should be sown as early in the year as possible[78, 200]. Germination rates are variable[78]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
[DEN] Data _ Photos (Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.

References for Corchorus hirtus (a possible synonym).

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for the family Ulmaceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[151] Wilson. E. H. and Trollope. M. N. Corean Flora. Royal Asiatic Society 1918
A very small handbook, it does give a little bit of information on Korean plants.

[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
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This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Zelkova+serrata
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.