American elm, the state tree of Massachusetts and North Dakota
The American elm is the state tree of Massachusetts, which chose it in 1941, and North Dakota, which followed in 1947. Massachusetts honors the elm on Cambridge Common under which George Washington took command of the Continental Army in 1775. With its tall, vase-shaped crown, the elm once lined countless streets, until Dutch elm disease killed huge numbers of the trees.
The 2 states
| State | Designation | Name in state law | Adopted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | State tree | American elmM.G.L. c. 2, § 8; Acts of 1941, c. 121 | 1941 |
| North Dakota | State tree | American elmN.D. Cent. Code § 54-02-05 | 1947 |
Two states, and one former
Massachusetts named the American elm its state tree in 1941, in the same act that made the black-capped chickadee its state bird, to recall that George Washington took command of the Continental Army under an elm on Cambridge Common in 1775. North Dakota followed in 1947, choosing a tree that was once common across the state and could survive extreme cold; the State Historical Society notes it tolerates temperatures as low as 45 below zero. Nebraska’s first state tree, named in 1937, was the American elm too, until the cottonwood replaced it in 1972.
How to recognize it
The American elm is a large tree, often 70 to 90 feet tall, whose trunk divides into several upright limbs that arch out into a vase shape with drooping branchlets. Its leaves are oval, 3 to 5 inches long, with sharp double teeth and a lopsided base, and its bark is ashy gray with flat-topped ridges. Small greenish flowers hang on long stalks in early spring, before the leaves, followed by flat, round, papery seeds with a notch at the tip.
Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease, a fungus spread by elm bark beetles, has killed huge numbers of American elms, and it has heavily thinned North Dakota’s elms.
Questions people ask
- Which states have the American elm as state tree?
- Massachusetts, since 1941, and North Dakota, since 1947. Nebraska's first state tree, from 1937 to 1972, was also the American elm.
- Why did Massachusetts choose the elm?
- To recall that George Washington took command of the Continental Army under an elm on Cambridge Common in 1775.
- What is Dutch elm disease?
- A fungal disease, spread by elm bark beetles, that has killed huge numbers of American elms, including many in North Dakota.
Sources
- American elm (Silvics of North America) USDA Forest Service
- 1941 Chap. 0121. An Act Designating The Chickadee As The State Bird And The American Elm As The State Tree. State Library of Massachusetts (Acts and Resolves)
- Part 5: Symbols - American Elm State Historical Society of North Dakota (NDStudies.gov)