The
Slippery Elm Ulmus rubra is a
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
of
elmElm leaves are alternate, with simple, single- or, most commonly, doubly-serrate margins, usually asymmetric at the base and acuminate at the apex. The genus is hermaphroditic, having perfect flowers which, being wind-pollinated, are apetalous. The fruit is a round wind-dispersed samara...
native to eastern
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
(from southeast
North DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America; on the Canadian border halfway between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. North Dakota is the 19th largest state by area in the U.S.; it is the 3
rd least populous, with just over 641,481 residents as...
, east to southern
QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, south to northernmost
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
, and west to eastern
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
). It is similar to
American ElmUlmus americana, generally known as the American Elm or, less commonly, as the White Elm or Water Elm, is a species native to eastern North America, occurring from Nova Scotia west as far as British Columbia, from northern Alberta at the top of its range, south to Florida and central Texas...
in general appearance, but more closely related to the
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
an
Wych ElmThe Wych Elm Ulmus glabra
Huds., or Scots Elm, is a large deciduous tree native to Europe, Asia Minor, and the Caucasus. Essentially a montane species, the tree occurs as far north as latitude 67°N at Beiarn in Norway and has also been successfully introduced to Narsarsuaq, near the...
, which has a very similar flower structure. Other common names include Red Elm, Gray Elm, Soft Elm, Moose Elm and Indian Elm.
The Slippery Elm is a
deciduousDeciduous means falling off at maturity or tending to fall off and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
treeA tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
which can grow to 20 m in height with a 50 cm d.b.h..
The
Slippery Elm Ulmus rubra is a
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
of
elmElm leaves are alternate, with simple, single- or, most commonly, doubly-serrate margins, usually asymmetric at the base and acuminate at the apex. The genus is hermaphroditic, having perfect flowers which, being wind-pollinated, are apetalous. The fruit is a round wind-dispersed samara...
native to eastern
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
(from southeast
North DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America; on the Canadian border halfway between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. North Dakota is the 19th largest state by area in the U.S.; it is the 3
rd least populous, with just over 641,481 residents as...
, east to southern
QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, south to northernmost
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
, and west to eastern
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
). It is similar to
American ElmUlmus americana, generally known as the American Elm or, less commonly, as the White Elm or Water Elm, is a species native to eastern North America, occurring from Nova Scotia west as far as British Columbia, from northern Alberta at the top of its range, south to Florida and central Texas...
in general appearance, but more closely related to the
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
an
Wych ElmThe Wych Elm Ulmus glabra
Huds., or Scots Elm, is a large deciduous tree native to Europe, Asia Minor, and the Caucasus. Essentially a montane species, the tree occurs as far north as latitude 67°N at Beiarn in Norway and has also been successfully introduced to Narsarsuaq, near the...
, which has a very similar flower structure. Other common names include Red Elm, Gray Elm, Soft Elm, Moose Elm and Indian Elm.
Description
The Slippery Elm is a
deciduousDeciduous means falling off at maturity or tending to fall off and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
treeA tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
which can grow to 20 m in height with a 50 cm d.b.h.. The tree has a different branching pattern to the other American species, and its
heartwoodWood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of trees . In a living tree it transfers water and nutrients to the leaves and other growing tissues, and has a support function, enabling woody plants to reach large sizes or to stand up for themselves...
is reddish-brown, giving the tree its alternative common name 'Red Elm'. The
leavesIn botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin. There is continued debate about whether the flatness of leaves evolved to expose the chloroplasts to more light or to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide. In...
are 10–18 cm long and have a rough texture, coarsely double-serrate margin and an oblique base. The perfect wind-pollinated apetalous flowers are produced before the leaves in early spring, usually in clusters of 10–20. The
fruitThe term fruit has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in food preparation and biology. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants disseminate seeds, and the presence of seeds indicates that a structure is most likely a fruit, though not all seeds come from...
is an oval winged
samaraA samara is a type of fruit in which a flattened wing of fibrous, papery tissue develops from the ovary wall. A samara is a simple dry fruit and indehiscent . They are winged achenes...
20 mm long and containing a single, central
seedA seed , referred to as a kernel in some plants, is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
. Slippery Elm may be distinguished from
American ElmUlmus americana, generally known as the American Elm or, less commonly, as the White Elm or Water Elm, is a species native to eastern North America, occurring from Nova Scotia west as far as British Columbia, from northern Alberta at the top of its range, south to Florida and central Texas...
by the hairiness of the buds and twigs (both smooth on the American Elm) and by its very short-stalked flowers.
Pests and diseases
The tree is reputedly less susceptible to
Dutch elm diseaseDutch elm disease is a fungal disease of elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native populations of elms which had not had the opportunity...
than other American elms, but is severely damaged by the Elm Leaf Beetle
Xanthogaleruca luteolaXanthogaleruca luteola, commonly known as the Elm Leaf Beetle, is a serious pest of the elm. Indigenous to Europe, it was accidentally introduced to North America. Both the imagines and larvae feed on the emergent leaves of the elm...
http://www.sunshinenursery.com/survey.htm.
Cultivation
Slippery Elm grows well in moisture-rich uplands, but it will also grow in dry, intermediate soils.
Medicinal
Slippery Elm is a valuable tree that has many traditional uses. The inner
barkBark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
can be ground into a
nutrientA nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment. Nutrients are the substances that enrich the body. They build and repair tissues, give heat and energy, and regulate body processes...
-rich
gruelGruel is a food preparation consisting of some type of cereal— oat, wheat or rye flour, or also rice— boiled in water or milk. It is a thinner version of porridge that may be more often drunk than eaten and need not even be cooked...
, off which one can solely survive for a short period. The bark also contains a
mucilageMucilage is a polar glycoprotein; an exopolysaccharide; a polymer produced by most plants and some microorganisms.It occurs in various parts of nearly all classes of plant, usually in relatively small percentages, and is frequently associated with other substances, such as tannins and...
that is used as a remedy for sore throats. Sometimes it is dried and ground into a
powderA powder is a dry, bulk solid composed of a large number of very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms powder and granular are sometimes used to distinguish separate classes of material...
beforehand, then made into a
teaTea is the agricultural product of the leaves, leaf buds, and internodes of the Camellia sinensis plant, prepared and cured by various methods...
. Both Slippery Elm gruel and tea are said to soothe the digestive tract, especially the GI tracts of those with
irritable bowel syndromeIrritable bowel syndrome is a functional gastrointestinal disorder. Also called spastic colon, it is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any detectable organic cause. In some cases, the symptoms...
or
gastritisGastritis is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach, and has many possible causes. The main acute causes are excessive alcohol consumption or prolonged use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Sometimes gastritis develops after major surgery, traumatic...
. There are no known
contraindicationIn medicine, a contraindication is a condition or factor that increases the risks involved in using a particular drug, carrying out a medical procedure, or engaging in a particular activity....
s for Slippery Elm. It is also not technically a
drugA pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
because it comprises mainly mucilage and various nutrients. According to
Herbs and Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Guide, "Although Slippery Elm has not been scientifically investigated, the FDA has approved it as a safe demulcent substance."
The bark has also been used historically as an
abortifacientAn abortifacient is a substance that induces abortion. Abortifacients for animals that have mated undesirably are known as mismating shots.Common abortifacients used in performing medical abortions include mifepristone, which is typically used in conjunction with misoprostol in a two-step approach...
, first moistened with water and then inserted into the
cervixThe cervix is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus where it joins with the top end of the vagina. It is cylindrical or conical in shape and protrudes through the upper anterior vaginal wall. Approximately half its length is visible with appropriate medical equipment; the remainder lies above...
. This practice became thoroughly regulated by "elm stick laws" in several US states, which forbade selling pieces of slippery elm bark longer than a certain length. Selling whole Slippery Elm bark is banned in several countries including the UK because of its ability to induce an abortion.
Babies first food
Slippery Elm is from the dried, powdered inner-bark of the North American Red Elm tree. Over the past one hundred years it has been used by both naturopaths and medical professionals. Its main use has been as weaning food for young babies and also as an easily assimilated and soothing gruel for the elderly.
It can be bought from most health shops in powder form. It is considered good for the baby when starting their first solids, especially if you have to start early. The mucilage, which is its greatest contribution therapeutically, is of a unique kind. It absorbs intestinal fluids but at the same time providing nutrition and in particular calcium phosphate. It is considered better than baby rice and farex, as these can cause constipation and have no nutritional value. Slippery Elm is easy to digest and it very good for their bowels.
To make, you only need a tiny amount of powder and mix it with water, formula or breast milk. It can also be sprinkled on food to help with digestion.
Others
The fibrous inner bark is a strong and durable fibre, which can be spun into thread, twine or rope. It can be used for bow strings, ropes, jewellery, clothing, snowshoe bindings, woven mats, and even some musical instruments. The wood is used for the hubs of wagon wheels, as it is very shock resistant owing to the interlocking grain.
Once cured, the wood is also excellent for
making fireMany different techniques for making fire exist. Smoldering plants and trees, or any source of hot coals from natural fires is the oldest way to make a fire. Other ancient techniques involve a fire drill or fire stick that is rotated or rubbed on a base...
s with the bow drill method, as it grinds into a very fine flammable powder under friction.
Hybrid cultivars
U. rubra had limited success as a hybrid parent in the 1960s, resulting in Coolshade,
LincolnThe American hybrid cultivar Ulmus Lincoln was selected from crossings of the Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila and the Slippery, yclept Red, Elm Ulmus rubra made in Illinois circa 1958 and patented in 1983.-Description:...
,
RosehillThe hybrid cultivar Rosehill was originally raised by the Rose Hill Nurseries of Kansas City, Missouri, from a selection of Ulmus pumila × Ulmus rubra seedlings made in 1951.-Description:...
, and probably
WillisThe hybrid cultivar Willis originated as a selection made by a Mr Minnick of Kansas simply as a hybrid. Almost certainly derived from a crossing of the Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila and the Red Elm Ulmus rubra, it was originally believed that the American parent was the American Elm Ulmus americana,...
hybrids . In later years, it was also used in the Wisconsin programme to produce Repura and Revera although neither appear to have been commercially released (2007).
Accessions
North America
- Arnold Arboretum, acc. nos. 737-88, 738-88, both of unrecorded provenance.
- Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest
Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest is a 14,000 acre arboretum, forest, and nature preserve located in Clermont, Kentucky ....
http://www.bernheim.org/species_lists.htm, ClermontClermont is a USGS-designated populated place in Bullitt County, Kentucky, United States, south of Louisville.-History:The area was officially recognized by the USGS on September 20, 1979, during the rapid expansion of Shepherdsville due to the development of Interstate 65...
, KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is a Southern state situated in the Upland South, although the state is infrequently placed, geographically and culturally, in the Midwest. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a...
. No details available.
- Brenton Arboretum
The Brenton Arboretum 121 acres is a new arboretum and botanical garden in early stages of development, located at 2629 Palo Circle, Dallas Center, Iowa, USA. The Arboretum aims to display all Iowa native trees and shrubs suitable to the site, as well as many other tree species which can grow in...
, Dallas Center, IowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland." It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of...
. No details available.
- Chicago Botanic Garden
Located at 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois, USA, the Chicago Botanic Garden is a living plant museum situated on nine islands featuring 23 display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. The Garden is open every day of the year, except December 25th...
, GlencoeGlencoe is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 8,762. Glencoe is located on Chicago's affluent North Shore. Glencoe is located within the top-rated New Trier High School District....
, IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
. 1 tree, no other details available.
- Dominion Arboretum
The Dominion Arboretum is located at the Central Experimental Farm of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Originally begun in 1889 the Arboretum covers about 26 ha of rolling land between Prince of Wales Drive, Dow's Lake and the Rideau Canal. Carleton University is located...
, OttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada and a municipality within the Province of Ontario. Located in the Ottawa Valley in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, the city lies on the southern banks of the Ottawa River, a major waterway forming the local boundary between the Provinces of Ontario and...
, CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. No acc. details available.
- Longwood Gardens
Longwood Gardens consists of 1,050 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA in the Brandywine Creek Valley. It is one of the premier botanical gardens in the United States.-Early history:...
, acc. no. L-3002, of unrecorded provenance.
- Nebraska Statewide Arboretum
The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum is an arboretum and botanical garden composed of 44 arboretums, parks, and other public landscapes in 33 communities across Nebraska, and supported by the arboretum office at the University of Nebraska campus in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA...
, no details available.
- Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
, acc. no. 8119PA.
- U S National Arboretum
The United States National Arboretum is an arboretum in Washington, D.C., operated by the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service as a division of the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center...
http://www.usna.usda.gov/index.htm, Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
, USA. Acc. no. 77501.
Europe
- Brighton & Hove
Brighton and Hove is a unitary authority area and city on the south coast of England. It is England's most populous seaside resort....
City Council,NCCPG elm collection http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1108042. UK champion: Hove Recreation Ground, 18 m high, 65 cm d.b.h. in 2002 .
- Grange Farm Arboretum, Sutton St. James, Spalding
Spalding is a market town with a population of 30,000 on the River Welland in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England.Spalding is well-known for its annual Flower Parade which attracts many regular visitors from all over the world, although the attendance has been declining from year to...
, LincolnshireLincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Rutland, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, and the East Riding of Yorkshire. It also borders Northamptonshire for just 19 metres, England's shortest county boundary...
, UK, acc. no. 522
- Hortus Botanicus Nationalis, Salaspils
Salaspils Salaspils Salaspils ( is a town Latvia, the administrative centre of Salaspils municipality. The town is situated on the northern bank of the Daugava River 18 kilometers to the south-east of the city of Riga.-History:...
, LatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , and to the southeast by Belarus . Across the Baltic Sea to the west lies Sweden...
acc. nos. 18168, 18169, 18170.
- Linnaean Gardens of Uppsala
The Linnaean Garden or Linnaeus' Garden is the oldest of the botanical gardens belonging to Uppsala University in Sweden. It has been restored and is kept as an 18th century botanical garden, according to the specifications of Carolus Linnaeus.The garden was originally planned and planted by Olaus...
, SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
, (as U. fulva) acc. no. 1955-1052.
- Royal Botanic Garden Wakehurst Place, acc. no. 1973-21050.
- Thenford
Thenford is a small village in the English county of Northamptonshire, six miles east of the town of Banbury. It includes the church of St. Mary's, and also Thenford House, the seat of The Rt. Hon. the Lord Heseltine CH, former deputy Prime Minister and owner of the Haymarket Group publishing house...
House arboretum, Northamptonshire, UK, no details available.
- University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
Botanic Garden, no details available.
Australasia
- Eastwoodhill Arboretum
Eastwoodhill is the national arboretum of New Zealand. It covers and is located 35 km northwest of Gisborne, in the hill country of Ngatapa. It was founded in 1910 by William Douglas Cook...
http://www.eastwoodhill.org.nz/gardens--collection/collection.aspx?Type=&G=Ulmus, GisborneGisborne is the name of the largest settlement within the Gisborne Region of northeastern New Zealand.Gisborne is named for an early Colonial Secretary William Gisborne. The council is located in the town of Gisborne .-Geography:The city of Gisborne is located at the north end of Poverty Bay...
, New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
, 1 tree, no details available.
Europe
- Arboretum Waasland http://www.arboretum-waasland.be/English.htm, Nieuwkerken-Waas, Belgium
The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
.
- Grange Farm Plants, Spalding
Spalding is a market town with a population of 30,000 on the River Welland in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England.Spalding is well-known for its annual Flower Parade which attracts many regular visitors from all over the world, although the attendance has been declining from year to...
, Lincs.Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Rutland, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, and the East Riding of Yorkshire. It also borders Northamptonshire for just 19 metres, England's shortest county boundary...
, UK.
- Salley Gardens, UK.
- Arne Herbs, UK.
Seed suppliers
External links