Personal Bio:

Faculty Bio: Frank Sterrett was a cherished and long-serving educator at Moses Brown School, spending decades as a dedicated elementary school teacher. Best known to the community as a passionate 5th grade teacher, he left an enduring impact on generations of young students before his retirement in 2004. Beyond his skills in the classroom, Sterrett brought an immense, lifelong enthusiasm for ornithology into his life and work, having spent decades as an avid birder, licensed bird bander, and leader of local nature walks. His deep commitment to the Moses Brown community and three decades of exceptional mentorship were beautifully recognized by the school in 2000. To honor his remarkable legacy and tenure, the school planted a dedicated American Elm tree in his name within the campus arboretum.

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