Cedar Elm
Ulmus crassifolia
Found in bottomland forests, hardwood flatwoods, prairies with tight soils; rarely river bluffs and ravines. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you
74
Strong
Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 88%
- Height
- About 90 feet
- Light
- 2 or more hours of direct sun
- Soil moisture
- Somewhat dry to moist
At a glance
- Bloom
- Late summer
Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves
Recorded in 11 Florida counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement.
Habitats
Floodplain and bottomland forests; prairies and grasslands; moist forests.
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there. All habitats
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
135CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL
Genus host records with ranges including FL · Ulmus
- Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
- Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak
- Polygonia interrogationisQuestion Mark
- Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
- Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
- Acrobasis indigenellaLeaf Crumpler
- Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
- Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
- Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
- Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
Show all 135
- Acronicta spinigeraNondescript Dagger
- Acronicta vinnulaDelightful Dagger, Ashy Dagger
- Actias lunaLuna Moth
- Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
- Aethalura intertextaFour-Barred Gray
- Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
- Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
- Anatrachyntis badiaFlorida Pink Scavanger Caterpillar
- Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
- Ancylosis undulatellaSugarbeet Crown Borer
- Antaeotricha leucillanaWell-Marked Leaf Tier, Pale Gray Bird-Dropping Moth
- Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
- Archips negundanaLarger Boxelder Leafroller Moth
- Argyrotaenia marianaGray-Banded Leafroller Moth
- Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
- Automeris ioIo Moth
- Besma quercivorariaOak Besma
- Callima argenticinctellaOrange-Headed Epicallima
- Canarsia ulmiarrosorellaElm Leaftier Moth
- Catocala clintoniiClinton's Underwing
- Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
- Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
- Cenopis pettitanaMaple-Basswood Leafroller Moth
- Ceratomia amyntorElm Sphinx
- Charadra deridensThe Laugher
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Clostera inclusaAngle-Lined Prominent, Poplar Tent Maker, Poplar Leaf-Tier
- Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
- Dasychira basiflavaYellow-Based Tussock Moth
- Dasychira meridionalisSouthern Tussock Moth
- Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
- Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
- Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
- Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
- Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
- Episimus argutanaSumac Leaftier
- Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
- Euchlaena marginariaOchre Euchlaena
- Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
- Eulithis diversilineataLesser Grapevine Looper Moth
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
- Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
- Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
- Haploa leconteiLeconte's Haploa
- Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
- Heterogenea shurtleffiRed-Eyed Button Slug
- Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
- Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
- Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
- Hypena abalienalisWhite-Lined Bomolocha, White-Lined Snout
- Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
- Hyperstrotia pervertensDotted Graylet
- Hyperstrotia villificansWhite-Lined Graylet
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Hypoprepia fucosaPainted Lichen Moth
- Iridopsis ephyrariaPale-Winged Gray
- Iridopsis humariaSmall Purplish Gray
- Isa textulaCrowned Slug
- Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
- Lambdina fervidariaCurve-Lined Looper Moth
- Limenitis arthemisBanded Purple, Red-Spotted Admiral
- Lithacodes fasciolaYellow-Shouldered Slug
- Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
- Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
- Lochmaeus bilineataDouble-Lined Prominent
- Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
- Lycia ypsilonWoolly Gray
- Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
- Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
- Megalopyge crispataBlack-Waved Flannel Moth, Crinkled Flannel Moth
- Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
- Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
- Melanolophia signatariaSignate Melanolphia
- Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
- Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
- Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
- Nerice bidentataDouble-Toothed Prominent
- Norape cretataWhite Flannel Moth
- Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
- Oedemasia semirufescensRed-Washed Prominent
- Orgyia definitaDefinite Tussock Moth
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthonama obstipataThe Gem
- Orthotaenia undulanaDusky Leafroller
- Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Panopoda carneicostaBrown Panopoda, Hickory Panopoda
- Pantographa limataBasswood Leafroller Moth
- Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
- Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
- Parasa chlorisSmaller Parasa, Green Slug Moth
- Perimede erransellaGray Perimede
- Pero ancetariaHubner's Pero
- Phaeoura quernariaOak Beauty Moth
- Phigalia strigatariaSmall Phigalia, Small Oak Looper
- Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
- Phyllodesma americanaLappet Moth, American Lappet Moth, Southern Lappet Moth
- Plagodis fervidariaFervid Plagodis
- Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
- Pococera asperatellaMaple Webworm
- Polygonia commaEastern Comma
- Prionoxystus robiniaeCarpenterworm Moth, Black Locust Borer, Cottonwood Borer
- Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
- Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
- Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
- Protoboarmia porcelariaPorcelain Gray, Dashedlined Looper
- Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
- Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
- Scopula limboundataLarge Lace-Border
- Smerinthus jamaicensisTwin-Spotted Sphinx
- Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
- Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
- Sunira bicoloragoBicolored Sallow
- Synanthedon geliformisPecan Bark Borer Moth
- Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
- Theisoa constrictellaConstricted Twirler
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Tolype velledaLarge Tolype, Large Lappet Moth, Vellada Lappet Moth
- Utetheisa ornatrixOrnate Moth, Pink Underwing, Rattlebox Moth, Bella Moth
- Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
- Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer
- Zale minereaColorful Zale
- Xenotemna pallorana
- Zamopsyche commentella
4BeesSoutheastern regional records
Southeastern regional records · Ulmus
Individual names are not available yet.
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
5BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Ulmus
- Aix sponsaWood Duck
- Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
- Columba liviaRock Pigeon
- Ortalis vetulaPlain Chachalaca
- Passer domesticusHouse Sparrow
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Ulmaceae
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “Late summer” · USDA PLANTS via EOL TraitBank · Nationwide approximate species characteristics; tolerance categories do not specify sun hours or moisture requirements
- Height · “About 90 feet” · USDA PLANTS via EOL TraitBank · Nationwide approximate species characteristics; tolerance categories do not specify sun hours or moisture requirements
Conservation status
| Florida rank | S4 |
|---|---|
| Global rank | Not available |
| FL status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
Will it fit your yard?
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Choose a county to begin.
Sources
- Atlas of Florida Plants
- FloraQuest: South Central (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- FloraQuest: Florida (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- NatureServe Explorer
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications