Slippery Elm, Red Elm

Slippery Elm is still common in various spots around the Midwest and East US. It oftentimes is a weed tree in rough or abandoned areas or...Read More fence rows in and around towns, self-sowing a lot, and I'm sure outrunning the Dutch Elm Disease all by itself and working on selecting its own resistant population. It is similar to the American Elm, but does not get as big and does not have as strong a vase-like habit. Its leaves are large (to 7" long x 3" wide) and very rough to touch. Conventional horticulture has not used it or grown it in nurseries. I still think it looks good as a mature tree. Native from southeast Ontario to Texas to Minnesota thru most of Georgia. It gets its name of "Slippery" from its slippery inner bark that was used to relieve sore throats.

Beautiful tree. It's native to eastern North America (from southeast North Dakota, east to Maine and southern Quebec, south to northernmo...Read Morest Florida, and west to eastern Texas).

Slippery elm may be distinguished from American elm by the hairiness of its buds and twigs (both smooth on the American elm) and by its very short-stalked flowers.

The yoke of the Liberty Bell was made from Slippery Elm.

The slimy inner bark is one of the 4 main ingredients for Essiac Tea. Essiac Tea is an old indian remedy for fighting cancer.

The slimy inner bark makes a pleasant tea when steeped for 15 minutes in hot water; dried and ground it yields a nutritious flour.