The parent species is native to Native: Asia-Temperate, including China: China - Anhui, - Zhejiang, - Fujian, - Henan, - Hebei, - Hunan, - Hubei, - Jiangxi, - Jiangsu, - Guangdong, - Guizhou, - Shanxi, - Shandong, - Shaanxi, - Sichuan, - Guangxi, and Eastern Asia: Japan - Honshu, - Kyushu, - Ryukyu Islands; Korea, North; Taiwan. Also native to Asia-Tropical, including Indo-China: Vietnam.
A fast-growing, deciduous or evergreen tree, ‘Dynasty’ Chinese Elm forms a graceful, vase-shaped, spreading canopy of long, arching, and somewhat weeping branches which are clothed with two to three-inch-long, shiny, dark green, leathery leaves which become transformed into various shades of red in the autumn. Branches grow up and away from the ground making it ideal for a street tree since branches do not droop toward the ground as much as other cultivars. The tree is evergreen in the southern extent of its range. The somewhat exfoliating, dark grey bark reveals random, mottled patterns of darker grey, green and occasionally, orange, and brown, adding great textural and visual interest, especially to its winter silhouette. But the bark probably is not as showy as some of the other selections.
‘Dynasty’ Chinese Elm originated from the National Arboretum’s selection program and grows perhaps 50 feet high and wide (about two feet per year), making it an ideal shade, specimen, street or parking lot tree. An excellent tree that is surprisingly under-used, ‘Dynasty’ Chinese Elm possesses many traits which make it ideal for a
multitude of landscape uses.
