Why do my lacebark elm leaves look different? One tree has darker, more rounded leaves and more whitish trunk?

Question

I purchased three lacebark elms and was assured by the nursery they were all alike eventhough one has smaller darker leaves and the branches are shorter and trunk whiter with almost small lines in the bark. The leaf pattern is the same, but they said it looked different because the other two had been in the shade.It does look similar, but enough for me to tell the difference, it almost resembles a live oak leaf in the way it curls slightly at the edges and not flat like the other two. They assurred me it was just the shade, but I am beginning to wonder, I planted them yesterday in a small cluster to resemble a multiclump to save money. Did I get what I paid for?

Answer 1

I like the clusters they sell at the nurseries, but I think for the price you paid for the three separate ones, you probably did well. As for why the one elm looks different than the others, "There are between 20 to 45 species of elm; the ambiguity in the number is a result of difficult species delimitations in elms, owing to the ease of hybridization between them..."
So my best guess would be that you have two differing varieties of lacebark, and though they are similar, they are not exactly the same. Still and all, the clumping of the three should turn out very nicely.
Happy Gardening!