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Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby'

Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby'

Urban Ruby Japanese grey-bark elm, Urban Ruby Saw-leaf Zelkova

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Description

Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' (Japanese zelkova ‘Urban Ruby’) was selected in 1993 by nurseryman Hanno Hardijzer of Boskoop in the Netherlands for its lovely dark red to purple budding foliage.
The tree forms an erect vase-shaped crown but is not the narrowest Zelkova cultivar. In terms of its habit, ‘Urban Ruby’ greatly resembles the species and the cultivar ‘Village Green’ but the tips of the branches are more pendulous and this makes the tree less suited for use in street plantings. ‘Urban Ruby’ grows up to twelve metres tall and six metres wide.

Foliage on Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' emerges red to red-violet in the spring and takes on a particularly beautiful dark green hue in summer. It produces a second flush of new shoots which are also a striking red/red-violet, creating an attractive contrast with the dark green leaf. The autumn colour of this cultivar is also spectacular: a wonderful array of shades of red, scarlet, red-violet and even browny-yellow. ‘Urban Ruby’ produces unremarkable small, green flowers in April. These are followed by equally unremarkable small brown nuts. Zelkova serrata ‘Urban Ruby’ has cinnamon-brown to grey, peeling bark and zigzagging twigs of the same colour which are glabrous.

This cultivar performs best in a warm, sunny to partially shaded spot ideally on loamy and nutrient-rich soil, although it can also do very well on poorer and drier soils. Thanks to its deep, lateral roots the selection has a firm anchor and is very wind-resistant. Vigorous ‘Urban Ruby’ is suitable for a wide range of planting sites as a standard or multi-stem, and as a single specimen. From roof gardens to squares and from industrial sites to parks: this ornamental tree will thrive. Zelkova serrata ‘Urban Ruby’ is often used as a substitute for elm on account of its similar appearance and good resistance to diseases and pests.

Types of planting

Tree types

standard trees multi-stemmed trees characteristic trees

Use

Location

avenue square car park / parking lot park central reservation in containers roof garden large garden cemetery traffic areas, industrial zones

Pavement

none none open open sealed sealed

Planting concepts

prairie planting

Characteristics

Crown shape

wide vase-shaped wide vase-shaped

Crown structure

semi-open semi-open

Height

10 - 12 m

Width

5 - 6 m

Winter hardiness zone

6A - 9B

Aspects

Wind

tolerant to wind

Soil

loess sabulous clay light clay sand loamy soil

Nutrient level

low in nutrients moderately rich in nutrients rich in nutrients

Soil moisture level

dry moist

Light requirements

sun partial shade

pH range

acidic neutral

Extreme environments

tolerant to salt spray tolerant to dryness tolerates air pollution tolerates heat

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Photos

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high-stem standard tree
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' standard tree
high-stem standard tree
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' standard tree
high-stem standard tree
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' standard tree
high-stem standard tree
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' standard tree
multi-stem multi-stem
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' multi-stem
multi-stem multi-stem
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' multi-stem
multi-stem multi-stem
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' multi-stem
multi-stem multi-stem
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' multi-stem
multi-stem multi-stem
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' multi-stem
multi-stem multi-stem
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' multi-stem
multi-stem multi-stem
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' multi-stem
multi-stem multi-stem
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' multi-stem
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves
autumn-leaves autumn leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' autumn leaves
autumn-leaves autumn leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' autumn leaves
autumn-leaves autumn leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' autumn leaves
bark bark
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' bark
bark bark
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' bark
bark bark
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' bark
twigs twigs
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' twigs
twigs twigs
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' twigs
twigs twigs
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' twigs
twigs twigs
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' twigs
twigs twigs
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' twigs
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves
bark bark
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' bark
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves
leaves leaves
Zelkova serrata 'Urban Ruby' leaves

Flowers

Flowers

discrete small

Flower colour

green

Flowering period

April

Leaves

Leaf colour

buds red-violet buds violet dark green

Leaves

deciduous ovate rough dentate

Autumn colour

red scarlet red-violet

Fruits

Fruit colour

brown

Fruits

discrete small nut

Bark

Bark colour

cinnamon-brown grey

Bark

peeling

Twigs

Twig colour

cinnamon-brown

Twigs

bare zigzagging

Root system

Root system

deep extensive tap root

For and by green professionals

The TreeEbb is a platform for and by green professionals, in which we collect knowledge and experience from the sector and make this available for users. All the details and photos are free to use for non-commercial purposes. Want to share your tree knowledge? Send photographs and additional information to treeebb@ebben.nl

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Winter hardiness

A plant's winter hardiness is the coldest area in which it is frost-resistant. This is based on the average annual minimum temperature. Winter hardiness zones are thirteen different frost zones in steps of 5.5 degrees Celsius. This format is an international standard for the hardiness of plants. The zones in which the plant is frost-resistant are always included in the description of trees and other vegetation.

Winter hardiness is a genetic characteristic and is not influenced by the location in which the plant is cultivated. This means that a plant that has been cultivated for many years in winter-hardiness zone 6 but has a winter hardiness of 3 is perfectly suited for replanting in a colder zone. It will thrive there thanks to its genetic characteristics.

When choosing planting for a project, the winter hardiness of the plants is extremely important. By choosing species that match the zone in which the project is being created, it is possible to ensure that plants can withstand the minimum temperature in that area.

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