 The branches are upright, but the form of the tree is more oval than vase-shaped; the leaves are relatively large.However, examples grown in the warmer climes of the southern United States have not impressed, and it was dismissed, along with its Morton stablemates and , as 'ugly' by Michael Dirr, Professor of Horticulture at the University of Georgia , on account of its 'wild' growth and splaying branches.Although resistant to Dutch elm disease in the USA, the tree is moderately susceptible to insects, notably elm leaf beetle "Xanthogaleruca luteola", Japanese beetle  and Gypsy moth.