Mushashino Zelkova

The Musashino Zelkova stands like an exclamation point in the landscape—and that's precisely what makes it brilliant. With a rigidly columnar form that reaches 45 feet tall but only 15 feet wide, this tree delivers vertical drama without the horizontal sprawl. The tightly upright branching sweeps skyward with elegant discipline, creating clean lines that work beautifully in tight urban spaces, along narrow streets, or planted in rhythmic rows to form striking allées. The small, serrated leaves—averaging just 3 inches long—emerge a fresh medium green in spring and maintain their clean appearance through summer before transitioning to yellow, bronze, or coppery-orange tones in fall. As an added bonus, those diminutive leaves mean considerably less raking in autumn.

But what truly sets the Musashino apart is its performance in challenging environments. This tree can survive tough urban conditions that cause many specimens to struggle. It's hardy from zones 5 through 9, surviving winter lows down to -20°F. The smooth gray bark, reminiscent of cherry when young, exfoliates with age to reveal attractive mottled patterns—providing winter interest after the leaves drop.

The species, Zelkova serrata, hails from Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and eastern China, where it's valued as both a commercial timber tree and ornamental. Zelkova is closely related to elms and shares their graceful architecture, but—critically—it's resistant to Dutch elm disease, the devastating fungal pathogen that decimated American elm populations. This disease resistance, combined with its adaptability, has positioned zelkovas as worthy successors to the American elm in our urban forests.

The Musashino cultivar had proven itself as a successful street tree in Japan for decades before J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. introduced it to North American nurseries in 2000. Named after the Musashino region west of Tokyo, this selection quickly gained recognition in municipal forestry circles. In 2016, the Society of Municipal Arborists named Musashino Zelkova their Urban Tree of the Year, citing its exceptional adaptability to harsh urban growing conditions, cold hardiness, and general reliability. As one city forester noted, it's "somewhat of a niche species selection, literally"—the narrow upright form solves problems when above-ground space is limited.

Musashino performs best in full sun with moist, well-drained soil, though it adapts to both acidic and alkaline conditions. While moderately drought-tolerant once established, consistent moisture during establishment helps develop a strong root system. The tree is a fast grower, particularly in its youth, and requires minimal maintenance beyond occasional removal of dead or damaged branches. Plant this tree where its slender silhouette can shine: parkways beneath utility lines, narrow urban streets, formal garden settings, or grouped to create dramatic vertical screens. Just give it room to reach its full height—this architectural specimen deserves to make its statement.

General care for any tree or shrub is easy, but like any living thing will require your attention. Please educate yourself and follow these simple rules.