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Zelkova serrata is a medium-sizedtree usually growing to 30m (98ft) tall. It is characterized by a short trunk dividing into many upright and erect spreading stems forming a broad, round-topped head. The tree grows rapidly when young though the growth rate slows to medium upon middle age and maturity.
It has alternately arranged leaves growing to 5cm long and broad. The leaves themselves are simple andto oblong-ovate with serrated or crenate margins, to which the tree owes itsserrata. The leaves areor, rounded orat the base, and contain 8-14 pairs of veins. The leaves are rough on top andor nearly glabrous on the underside. They are green to dark green in spring and throughout the summer, changing to yellows, oranges and reds in autumn. Theare 2鈥�5mm (1鈦�16鈥�3鈦�16in) long.
Zelkova serratais. It develops flowers in spring with the leaves. Buds are ovoid, acutish, with many, dark brown scales.They diverge at a 45 degree angle from the stem. Theflowers are shortlyand approximately 3mm in diameter, clustered in theof the lower leaves. Theflowers are solitary or few in axils of the upper leaves,and usually about 1.5mm in diameter. The flowers are yellow-green, not showy, and occur in tight groups along new stems. They give rise to small, ovate, winglessthat ripen in late summer to autumn. The drupe is green maturing to brown, subsessile and 2.5 to 3.5mm (3鈦�32to1鈦�8in) in diameter.
To identifyZelkova serrata, one would look for a short main trunk, low branching and a vase-shaped habit. The twigs are slender with small, dark conical buds in a zigzag pattern. The branches are usually glabrous. The bark is grayish white to grayish brown and either smooth withor exfoliating in patches to reveal orange inner bark. The branchlets are brownish-purple to brown.