Slippery Elm
Ulmus rubra Muhl.
Also known as Red Elm or Soft Elm.
Mature Size: 60 to 70 feet in height and up to 2½ feet in diameter.
Form: Broad, somewhat flat-topped crown and spreading branches.
Habitat: Grows best on moist, rich bottomlands, but also found on drier, upland soils.
Leaves
Alternate, simple, egg-shaped to oblong, 4 to 6 inches long, 2 to 3 inches wide, edge double-toothed, leaf base uneven; dark green above and very rough, paler and slightly rough or hairy beneath.
Flowers
Small, light green, in tight clusters of 3 to 5, appearing in early spring before leaves open.
Fruit
Small seed encased in a round, papery, wafer-like covering, ¾ to 1 inch across; edges and surfaces smooth, but surface of seed cavity fuzzy; ripening in late spring.
Bark
Dark reddish brown, deeply furrowed; inner bark very slippery.
Twigs
Thicker than American elm, slightly zigzag, ashy gray to brownish-gray, often mottled, rough; buds chestnut brown to nearly black, sometimes rusty-hairy; twigs sticky when chewed.
Values and Uses
The wood is similar to that of American elm and, although not often harvested, it has been used for furniture, paneling and containers. The seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals, and twigs are browsed by rabbits and deer. The inner bark is collected for use in folk medicines.
Did You Know?
The inner bark, when steeped in water, is a long-used remedy for coughs, sore throats and fevers. Slippery elm is less susceptible to Dutch elm disease than the American elm.
