Zelkova, stone pillar : The strong and dense tree

Zelkova is a deciduous tree. It is often grown as a small, indoor bonsai. These plants are generally easy to care for. In nature, they can live a long time, up to 850 years.

Zelkova belongs to the elm family. Gardeners like it for its beautiful leaves and strong resistance to disease. Its fruits are not edible. Other names for zelkova include stone pillar and Zelkova.

The tree's strong wood is used to make plywood and furniture. Long ago, it was used to build ships. In some areas, livestock eat the tree's branches.

This can cause trees in forests to lose their lower branches. This hurts their growth and shape.

Zelkova trees bloom in spring or early summer. Small, greenish flowers grow with the leaves. These flowers have a simple, cup-shaped structure. Male flowers have 4 or 5 stamens in small groups. Wind helps the tree to pollinate.

The tree fruits in late summer or early autumn. The fruit is a small, dry nut with one seed. It is shaped like a small oval and is usually less than 6 mm long.