American Elms can be distinguished from also present Slippery Elm and Siberian Elm by their asymmetrical and alternate leaves which are about 2-4 inches long, and oval-shaped, winged fruits, about ½ inch in length, with a central seed. Another distinguishing feature of these trees are the coarse ridges of their bark. Found in floodplains and mature forests, American Elm trees are incredibly susceptible to Dutch elm disease, but those that are unaffected can live for several hundred years.