'Jacqueline Hillier' is a dwarf elm in the Ulmaceae family and was discovered growing in a garden in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. Grow in full sun to light shade in moist well-drained soils. Left to grow unpruned, it will reach 6-8 feet tall and wide. It is most likely resistant to Dutch elm disease, but due to its short stature, it won't attract the bark beetles that carry the disease and is very resistant to the elm leaf beetle. It is a slow-growing dwarf variety with a shrubby form and small leaves, often used by bonsai enthusiasts. The attractive leaves turn orange in the fall and grow in a herringbone pattern along the stem. Use in small gardens, rockeries, low hedges, and bonsai. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Various wilts, rots, cankers and leaf spots may appear. Insect visitors include aphids, borers, leaf hopper, beetles, mealybugs, caterpillars and scale. VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Ulmus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheChamaecyparis pisifera 'Tsukumo'Juniperus communis 'Echiniformis'Rhododendron impeditum
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub; Tree
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Multi-trunked; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Doubly Serrate
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
1 & 1/3 inch dark green leaves with serrated margins growing with a distinctive herringbone pattern along the branched stems. Fall color is orange
Fall color
Orange
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower detail
Late March insignificant flowers
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit type
Samara
Fruit detail
Flat papery samara with 1 seed
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe, Turkey
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Samara
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Patio; Small Space
Landscape theme
Asian Garden
Design feature
Accent; Small Tree; Specimen
Garden tags
#small tree #dwarf #bonsai #slow growing #Asian garden #small spaces #full sun tolerant #container plant #patio
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Smaller European Elm Bark Beetle; Elm Sawfly; Larger Elm Leaf Beetle; Native Elm Bark Beetle; Elm Lace Bug; Mourning Cloak Butterfly / Spiny Elm Caterpillar; Elm Leafminer; Elm-Grass Root Aphid; Elm Zigzag Sawfly; Common Insect Pests of Elm in North Carolina