Elm, Slippery

The tree you are looking at is the Slippery Elm, also known as the Ulmus rubra, also called the Red Elm due to the reddish color of its wood. The tree gets its name from the mucilaginous slime that oozes from the inner bark when cut. Prince Maximilian of Germany discovered residents of New Harmony, Indiana using the slime from inside the inner bark of this tree to make cholera curing plasters that are still sold today. Commonly reaching 60 feet in height, the Slippery Elm is a medium-size, fast-growing tree that usually reaches 200 years old. Notice the tree's large, dark green leaves with doubly serrated edges. The thick, brown, non-continuous bark is separated by narrow fissures and is particularly spongy on younger trees. The Slippery Elm tree produces round, flat fruit seeds that ripen in the spring.