Help ID please

[bonsaeen]

I have seen this tree in many places here in Victoria and with no knowledge of trees as such I always think its an elm of some sort because my elms have similar leaves in terms of design. Can you please tell me what it is ? I took some small branches to see if I can grow from cutting but is it worth it?

Tree iD 1.jpg

tree id 2.jpg

[Bougy Fan]

I am pretty sure you will find it is a Chinese elm. When they grow into big trees the leaves are larger than when you bonsai one.

[shibui]

I'll go along with Chinese elm as an ID. To confuse things even further Chinese elm comes with a wide range of bark types from smooth, mottled bark right through to deeply fissured black corky bark.
Autumn will confirm the ID because Chinese elm flowers in autumn and the seeds mature before mid winter.
Zelkova is another possibility but the leaves look a bit dark and leathery to be zelkova.

You should be able to strike cuttings and we know that Chinese elms are great for bonsai. Root cuttings and layers are also quite easy if you have the opportunity.
As Bougy Fan says, leaf size is generally smaller when grown in a pot and trimmed regularly.

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

Chinese elm comes with a wide range of bark types from smooth, mottled bark right through to deeply fissured black corky bark.

Here are some pics I took of a few large CE's that display the mottled bark. The colouring and texture is real stand out feature.

CE1.JPG

CE2.JPG

[bonsaeen]

Thanks for the help all. I like elms as they grow pretty fast so will try the cuttings. Thanks