In the wild, the slippery elm can reach 25 meters in height and 60 centimeters in diameter. This tree can live for 125 years.
The bark of a young slippery elm is dark brown. With age, it becomes paler, brownish, and covered with shallow furrows. The crown of the tree is flat-topped. The main branches are upright, then spreading and drooping. The wood is hard, strong, and resistant to rot.
The leaves of the slippery elm are longer than those of any other elm (15 to 20 centimeters). The petiole is short, and the upper surface of the leaf is dark green and rough. The underside of the leaf is paler.
In autumn, the leaves are twisted and yellow. In spring, it produces umbel-shaped flowers before the leaves appear, followed by nearly round samaras in May and June.
Geographically, this tree is found southwest of the St. Lawrence River in the Montérégie region, as well as along the North Shore as far as Quebec City.
The slippery elm prefers full sun but can tolerate partial shade.
Did you know that the slippery elm has medicinal uses?
Yes! It can be used to treat inflammation and ulcerations of the digestive tract, such as relieving constipation and diarrhea. Slippery elm can also be used to treat skin wounds, inflammation of the mucous membranes, burns, abscesses, vaginitis, and hemorrhoids.
Information source: Fact sheet - Slippery Elm - Montreal Bonsai and Penjing Society (SBPM) (bonsaimontreal.com)
Photo source:
https://phytotheque.wordpress.com/2016/05/12/orme-rouge-ulmus-rubra/
