Zelkova carpinifolia is a slow-growing tree up to 100ft (30m) but in the UK it often forms a short widely-spreading tree. It comes from the Caucasus and Northern Iran and was introduced to horticulture in 1760. The alternate arrangement of the twigs on each branch and the leaves on each twig have a regularity similar to that of our native elm which belongs to the same family – Ulmaceae. This small tree is planted on the sloping grass between the Ulster Museum and the Global Medicinal Garden.

Photos taken in Belfast Botanic Gardens in 2021. Copyright: Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens.