Also going by the names White Elm, Soft Elm, Water Elm, or Common Elm, this medium to large deciduous tree typically grows 60 to 80 feet tall with a vase-shaped, broad-rounded crown. This handsome tree serves as a larval host for a number of butterfly species, and both its seeds and leaf buds are eaten by birds. It thrives in full sun to partial shade, and in moist, fertile soils. Once a very common American forest and street tree admired for its stately habit, the vast majority of American Elms were devastated by the introduction of Dutch elm disease in the 1930s.