White elm is a favourite ornamental tree. Its umbrella-shaped crown makes it easily recognizable. Over the past years, Dutch elm disease, which originated in Europe, has killed many of the magnificent trees that once graced Quebec's towns and villages.

White elm prefers alluvial flats, low, moist ground and areas where the water table is close to the surface.

It is rarely found in pure stands. It usually associates with red and silver maple, black ash, yellow birch and balsam poplar.

The wood of the white elm is relatively heavy, hard and strong. It has a coarse texture, occasionally with interlaced fibres. Its colour ranges from almost pure white to light brown.

It is used in cabinetmaking and shipbuilding, for sporting goods, coffins, boxes and crates.