z6 is half the US ....

looks like the weedy Siberian elm .. total carp trees ...

couple million of them got slaughtered in an ice storm in my MI county a few years backs... 3 days in the dead of winter with not utilities ... not fun ...

i obviously have a personal hate for them ...

ken

ps: lol.. and on reviewing your pix.. its already in the power lines .... get rid of it ...

Chinese elm ulmus parviflora

I thought I replied to this. Siberian elm, Ulmus pumila.

Some kind of Elm.

How big are the leaves? If they are small, then it might be the upright form of Ulmus parvifolia.

Thank you for all of the comments. After comparing the Siberian and Chinese Elms, it is actually an Ulmus Parvifolia, not a Siberian Elm. Based on size of leaves (under 2") tight placement of leaves on branch and red and grey bark.

Parvifolia-unlike its cousin pumila-is actually a pretty decent tree.

Agree with kentrees, tree is pumila not parvifolia.

Thanks but it is actually Parvifolia. Leaves are too small for pumila, the placement of the leaves on the branch is tighter than pumila, and the colour of the bark is distinctive. Also had it confirmed yesterday by a landscaper who is familiar with both varieties.

That bark is definitely pumila, and the leaves are typical size for pumila.

Leaves on both species can vary somewhat as to size, color, etc, but the bark says pumila.

whichever it is.. ITS IN THE POWER LINES ..... either you remove it.. or you cant complain.. if the utility ever comes thru.. and butchers it ....

its yours.. your yard. etc .. do whatever you want ....

ken

ps: the original seed probably popped out of the butt of a bird perched on the wire .... inferring its a vigorous reseeder on some level ... you might find others in other unmowed parts of the yard ....

Thank you Ken, I'm aware it is in the power lines. Someone is coming to prune it back in the fall, I was merely trying to identify it. No other seedlings present :)

If indeed U. pumila-and I agree, the bark is dead-on for that species-it is one of the better-looking ones I've seen! Usually, the crown on these things has as much dead twigs as live ones.

sam, blooming already? I believe you of course, but mine won't bloom for many more weeks (mid-Sept earliest).

I agree the bark the OP shows looks more like Siberian elm than Chinese elm, but wonder how much Chinese elm bark can vary...

If ulmus parvifolia blooms in september, will it still have seeds this year? Seems like awfully short time, but elms are fast seed growers

huggorm, the seeds develop very quickly after the blooms wither. That said, none of my tree's seeds are viable -- no other Chinese elm around to cross-pollinate it (and no other fall-blooming elm species around).

As sam says, honeybees relish the pollen of these blooms (I assume it isn't nectar), so if there were any Chinese elms within their flying distance (a couple miles), those flowers would be cross-pollinated.

Below's the trunk of my Chinese elm:

The problem is that the bark does not really look like either of the Chinese or Siberian Elm. It's texture is more similar to the Siberian, but the colour is way off.

Hybrid between Siberian elm and some native species?

Siberian elm.

Looks exactly like a great many Siberians I've known and (not) loved. An odd sort of tree-Siberian elm is actually at its best in drier regions. Here in Wisconsin-tends to look ragged with nice form but terrible foliage quality.

I've taken down many a large Siberian elm and one thing I do like is the chips that result from this; Reddish in color, they really look good for a while.

huggorm, most of the seedlings around me are Siberian/slippery elm hybrids (which means only half the resistance to elm-yellows and hence they slowly die over time), but the leaves are midway in size between the two, and are a fair bit larger than what's shown.

I would have it removed, too close to the power lines. Before you plant a tree, don't forget to look up.

Good catch Beng-the numerous volunteer elms around here that are not clearly Am. elm may also be hybrids of pumila and rubra. Either way, not a great tree for the most part. Every now and then there'll be a pretty good one. Slippery elm itself can-of course-be a great tree.

Thank you for all of the advice. The tree was here when I moved in last fall, so had no choice in type or placement :) Regardless of its desirability, or lack thereof, it is literally the only shade tree I have in the backyard, so it is not coming down! Also, the landlord is tearing down the house after he gets it paid off in a couple of years, so it's not going to get the chance to grow into a big problem. My friend is coming this fall to prune it back, so he will make sure my power lines are safe :)

walkme, nobody likes Siberian elms, yet the neighbor's Sib elms do at least provide valuable shade to his house and resist DED & elm-yellows. Taken in 2004 when I first moved in & my trees just getting started -- 20 ft+ green giant arborvitaes block this view very nicely now:

Yes, no tree snobbery intended on my part. Any tree which provides a valuable service has inherent worth.

walkme, those "power lines" look like telephone lines and not too big of a deal as they're insulated & low voltage. Somebody knowledgeable could tell by looking closely at them and their connections.

Righto^. At least in my part of the world, line clearance is never done for telephone.