Are these elm trees? Does anyone know the name for them?

Hi

I have some self seeded trees at the bottom of my garden.
They are 2 to 25 year's old.

Some one has told me they are elm trees. They dont look like it to me but I have not seen one alive for 35 years.

It is a common tree around here. Does anyone know its name. Pictures below.

Many thanks

George

George, Have a look at this link:

http://www.british-trees.com/

Hope this helps.

They look like elms to me - they could have grown from the roots of elms that died of Dutch elm disease years ago - the roots often throw up suckers.

People got very excited when the first young trees grew from suckers following the loss of most of our elms, but unfortunately once they get to a certain size they too succumb to the Dutch Elm disease which is spread by a beetle.

 Apparently the beetles aren't interested in the sapling size trees, but once they get bigger the beetles bore into them and they're infected by the fungus spread by th beetle.  I really miss the huge English Elms that were such an important part of the countryside when I was a child.

More information here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_elm_disease

How can I be sure what these trees are? The leaves dont look very like the elm leaf examples I can find on the internet. Could they be a form of Alder?

The leaves look exactly like the elm leaves I've always known, and I've been about since long before Dutch Elm disease wreaked such damage - however, here are the catkins and cones of the alder 

and here are the seeds of the elm http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/british-natural-history/urban-tree-survey/identify-trees/tree-factsheets/c-to-e/elm/index.htm     and some other identifying features to help you decide.

Thank you. A great website for trees that one.