Zelkova serrata - Japanese Zelkova

The Japanese Zelkova is a medium to large sized deciduous tree growing to 50 plus feet, with a short trunk and an upright vase shape eventually spreading with age. Younger trees show a very upright V habit. Resistant to Dutch Elm disease and is recommended as a replacement for many elms.

Leaves are alternate, simple, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 1.5 to 2.5" long, with large very uniform serrations. Medium to dark green, sort of dull and much lighter below. Leaf tip is long and pointed.

Buds are easy to spot. They are divergent (spreading) on the reddish brown thin zig-zag stems. They are sharply pointed with imbricate scales.

Fruit are wingless drupes (aren't they all, if they had a wing I think they would be a samara), green turning brown when mature.

Spectacular bark. Like the Chinese Elm, gray with an orange brown inner bark. When young they have lots of lenticels.

Fall color is pretty good, or fair, depending on the tree. Can be red to yellow and in-between.

 Two trees on 7th side by side.

Older specimen in Spokane, showing the strong V shaped branching of the primary lateral branches.

They make spectacular bonsai.

Misidentification:
Maybe the Ulmus parviflora, due to the bark and the leaves, but look at the leaves carefully, the serrations are much different.

Location:
Capitola
Across from New Brighten School on Monterey Blvd.
Also just up the street are a few large ones, 825 Monterey Blvd

Santa Cruz
7th Ave young ones, around the 1000 block
King St in the grounds of Mission Bell School - One of the best