Siberian Elm The Siberian elm is a tree native to Asia.The Siberian elm is usually a small to medium-sized, often bushy, deciduous tree growing to 25 meters (82 feet) tall, the diameter at breast height to 1 m (3 ft 3 in). The bark is dark gray, irregularly longitudinally fissured.The tree is short-lived in temperate climates, rarely reaching more than 60 years of age, but in its native environment may live to between 100 and 150 years.