Slippery Elm SEED Ulmus rubra SEEDS

LATIN NAME: Ulmus rubra

COMMON NAME: Slippery Elm

The slippery elm raises its broad, oval, toothed, rough leaves and the small, reddish flowers in the tight clusters, and the whole tree carries the fine, broad shade of the old garden. The upright, broad-crowned, deciduous tree carries the broad, oval, sharply toothed, rough-surfaced, dark-green leaves and the small, reddish-green, petal-less flowers in the tight, round clusters through the early spring, one of the fine, quiet sights of the old garden, drawing the bees, to be followed by the small, round, winged, flat fruits. The inner bark has a very long record in the old practice of the cool lands, and the tree is a fine, historic presence of the old garden. It is a tree of the open, sunny, deep, moist, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The slippery elm is a historic subject of the plant science, and the round clusters keep showing up in the work on the broad-crowned trees. The chemistry of the inner bark, which carries the fine, mucilaginous compounds of the old practice, has been studied at length, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the broad-crowned trees, the rough leaves and the members of the elm family. The oval leaves and the broad habit have also made it a fine study tree, and the slippery elm is a regular subject of the work on the round clusters of the cool world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The slippery elm is a fine, quiet tree of the old garden and the study collection. The small, reddish-green, petal-less flowers in the tight, round clusters open through the early spring, one of the fine, quiet sights of the old garden, drawing the bees, and the broad, oval, sharply toothed, rough-surfaced, dark-green leaves carry the fine, broad shade of the old garden, while the inner bark has a very long record in the old practice of the cool lands, to be followed by the small, round, winged, flat fruits. It is one of the fine choices for the old garden, the avenue and the study collection, and it has been written up in the botanical and the scientific papers for the mucilaginous bark and the very long record. It is a fine, quiet tree of the open, sunny, deep, moist, well-drained garden.

Give the young trees the deep, moist bed, and the broad shade will come over the years.

To grow the slippery elm from seed, sow the small, winged seeds a little below the surface of the pot of fine, gritty soil, keep the pot in a bright, open spot and water gently, then pot the young trees on as they fill the pot. The seedlings come through within a few weeks and grow on steadily. With the sun and the deep, moist, well-drained ground, the broad shade will come over the years.

The inner bark was also used to waterproof canoes, baskets, and places of living. Elm was used by colonists to make pudding, to thicken jelly, to preserve grease, and as a survival food on long trips. It was used medicinally to treat toothaches, skin injuries, gout, arthritis, stomach aches, intestinal worms, and coughs.

Uses and Indications

Slippery elm is used to relieve gastrointestinal conditions, sore throats, ulcers, and respiratory irritations today. External uses include treatment of skin conditions, vaginitis, and hemorrhoids. It can be used as a cough medicine or as a skin smoother and softener.