Alder or Wych Elm

Hi

I have an extensive native hedge that I had assumed was alder (alnus glutinosa?) mixed with privet, hawthorn, rose and some pesky lonicera.



Yesterday I was trimming a wych elm that is overgrown in the hedge on another part of the garden (I know it's wych from the seeds this spring) and am now wondering if it's possible that my hedge is elm not alder.

Can anyone identify it from it's leaves please?

 

Leaves not right for Alnus glutinosa. Common name Alder.

They look a good match for Ulmus . Common name Elm.

Have a close look at the stalk end of the leaves.
Normally Elm are easy to id, as the leaf is not even on both sides of the midrib.
See this pic which shows what I am trying to describe!

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=ul...t=46&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:46&tx=72&ty=100


http://www.plant-identification.co.uk/skye/ulmaceae/ulmus-glabra.htm

 

Thanks for that, I see what you mean and was able to check. It does indeed look like I have an elm hedge. It's extremely vigorous!

 

If it's very vigorous, especially after being cut it could be hazel, elm is a very simialr leaf but seems to have more 'rays';

Hazel;
Hazel | Grow a tree with BTCV

Elm;
Wych elm | Grow a tree with BTCV

 

I am 99.9% sure it is not Corylus avellana. Common name Hazel.

Piffyuk do look at the stalk end of the leaf. It is completely symetrical with hazel. Where as Elm is lop sided as already mentioned.

Google Images

The easiest way to check at this time of year is to look for nuts or even the tiny tiny catkins that will be there already. Waiting for the spring, before lenghtening and opening with the yellow pollen.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anemoneprojectors/3926918692/


Another id pointer...The leaf stalk on Hazel is much longer than the almost non existant stalk on an Elm leaf.

http://www.howardianlnr.org.uk/treeshazel-leaf.html

http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/di/ulma/ulmus/ulmugla1.jpg

This link from Kew is rather interesting about elms....English and Wych.


http://apps.kew.org/trees/?page_id=134

 

Well it just got identified as elm on all accounts The leaves are as you pointed out from that last link Silversurfer. That's useful to know. However I happened to spot the man cutting hedges down the road from us with a tractor and asked him if he'd mind doing the road side of our hedge. He definitely referred to it as elm and I think he's been cutting hedges in the area for a great deal of years. He also advised me to be severe with it and encourage the privet to recover from the years of neglect this hedge has had one way or another. It's a very old hedge I believe.

Hedge decimation in progress:



Thanks again for the input