Winged Elm

Also known as Wahoo, Cork Elm, Southern Rock Elm

Winged elms earn their name from the striking, thin corky ridges that run lengthwise along opposite sides of young branches and twigs. These resilient trees produce reddish-green flowers in late winter before their leaves emerge, quickly yielding papery samaras dispersed across the landscape by early spring breezes. While susceptible to Dutch elm disease, many individuals survive in dry uplands and abandoned pastures where poor soil prevents competition from larger canopy hardwoods.