Personal Bio:

Faculty Bio: Constance “Connie” Raymond was a transformative educational leader who served as the Head of the Lower School and a long-time faculty member at Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island. Throughout her distinguished tenure, she was widely recognized for her dedication to elementary education, fostering a nurturing and inclusive environment that balanced academic rigor with character development. Guided by Quaker values, Mrs. Raymond consistently championed community engagement, inspiring both students and faculty to actively support local service initiatives. Her profound commitment to philanthropy extended beyond the classroom, notably through her long-standing work with Camp Street Ministries. In recognition of her exceptional leadership and enduring impact on the school community, an American Elm was dedicated in her honor within the Arboretum at Moses Brown in 2003.

American Elm:

Scientific Name

Ulmus americana

Family

Ulmaceae

Description

American elm is a rapidly growing, perennial, woody, deciduous tree in the elm family (Ulmaceae), native to eastern North America. It grows 60 to 80 feet tall and 30 to 60 feet wide, with a trunk diameter of 2 to 5 feet. Older trees sometimes develop buttresses that expand their base.

Leaves are alternate, simple, ovate-elliptic, 4 to 6 inches long, dark green with a rough texture, doubly serrate (toothed) margins, asymmetrical bases, and a long, slightly curved tip. The undersides have soft hairs. Fall color is an undistinguished yellow.

Bark is dark gray, divided into flat braided ridges; firm on younger trees but tends to come off in flakes on older specimens.

Stems are smooth, brown, and not aromatic.

Flowers are small, inconspicuous, and greenish-red, appearing in drooping clusters of 3 to 4 in late winter to early spring (February to March in North Carolina) before the foliage emerges.

Fruits are single-seeded samaras—each tiny seed surrounded by a flattened, oval-rounded papery wing. Seeds are clustered on long stems and ripen in April to May as leaves reach full size.

Other Common Names

Common Elm, Gray Elm, Soft Elm, Water Elm, White Elm

Size

Height: 60 ft. 0 in. – 80 ft. 0 in.

Width: 30 ft. 0 in. – 60 ft. 0 in.

Source: North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox