Vigorously growing large tree with a dense, broad oval crown. The brown twigs have striking corky fissures. The old brown-grey bark is deeply grooved and blocky, and has cork deposits. The leaf is oval-elongated to obovate. Young leaves are rough and hairy, adult leaf is bare and glossy green. The base of the leaf is crooked, a feature of most elms. The leaf margin is double serrated. The small green-purple flowers are in dense clusters of 15 - 30, appearing in March, before the leaf development. The seeds enclosed in their wing are often formed before the leaf development too. First they are green but turn brown later. Low resistance to Dutch elm disease but of very great landscape value. Tolerates a lot of wind, including sea wind.