slippery elm

Rameau elm trees

The elms are trees of the genus Ulmus, family Ulmaceae Ulmaceae or reaching thirty meters (40 m and rarely), originating in Western Europe and North America at the beginning of the Tertiary era, are 65 million years. The elm is a full-grown tree, and provides excellent timber, almost comparable to oak.

He disappeared in Western Europe due to elm. The development of resistant cultivars is the subject of intense research since the 1960s.

Slippery elm description

Bark fissured, except in young specimens.
Deciduous, usually alternate, simple, double-toothed and often markedly asymmetrical at the base (as in hackberry) (which allows the distinction with the charms that have leaves similar but symmetrical).

Rameau elm

Flowers without petals and red glomeruli appearing in March on the twigs of the previous year.
Oval or round pollen from a size of 28 × 22 microns, relatively smooth;
Anémogame pollination (wind);Allergenicity: 1/5, possible cross allergies with pollen of Ulmacée.
Red-green winged fruit flattened disk shape, said "samara" or "alkene", dispersed by the wind, appearing in March-April before the leaves, grouped into balls.

 It is ripe in late May, and we can sow immediately after harvest.
Varieties are distinguished in Europe, the country Elm, Elm smooth, mountain Orme. In North America it is the white American Elm, but many crossings and selections have been made for centuries.
A description is made in the Encyclopedia Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts and Trades (Diderot / 1751 -1772).

Rameau elm history and uses

The elm was once extensively planted in hedgerow regions to serve as a timber (He could be pruned every 7 years or so, thus further increasing its resistance to bending in structures). Water resistant when immersed, like oak and alder, it was notably used for hubs paddle wheels of water mills, as stilts for gun carriages.

Easily bouturable, he also was planted in many city since Francis I and Henry IV, then along the boulevards and malls as a roadside tree to form shadow. It was planted in staggered around farms and castles in many regions, including the north of France, which in 1825 suggested the following thought to FJ Grille (in its description of the Northern Department):

"Observation in the interests of the owners. As these trees require a lot of room to grow and room to stretch their roots, should be planted preferably online and on the roads, as ordered Colbert in its public administration regulations; as indicated by François de Neufchâteau in its circular, when he was Minister of the Interior; as MM. Decazes wool and have since renewed the invitation. If one wants to plant groves, at least he should set foot at great distances from each other to obtain the best products and the most complete development. "

FJ grid described, there are nearly 200 years in the north of France, a true cultivation, he suggests extending to other varieties;

"Is mainly cultivated two varieties of elm (in the northern department): one has smooth leaves, which are called Dutch elm; the other with small leaves, called pyramidal elm. But that other species could naturalize it! Britain alone has five: the elm, which is the strongest, most durable, best-proof moisture, but slowly growing; the bark of cork, which grows faster, but the quality is much lower; elm mountains, it is that of Scotland, which now carries in almost all countries of Europe; the elm, elm Essex, which can acquire a considerable size, and whose heart, very understated, is used in the wheelwright; Finally, the Dutch elm, the smallest of all, the wood is very inferior to all others, and that is mostly good as burning. The wood of elm hard centuries when it remains in a constantly wet or dry; but decays when exposed to changes in the atmosphere and the estate of moisture and drought. One can quote as evidence the stilts on which is established the London Bridge: they exist for six hundred years, and do not appear to have suffered the least. "
It has been used in North America for its "tunnel effect". The American elm were indeed ideal qualities for such use:





rapid growth ;
wide adaptation to different climates and soil types;
wind resistant wood;
flared growth does not take large pruning.
Other jobs.


The hardness of elm wood has made it a work of choice, especially for screws, wheels, galoshes (see hoof), stranding boat hulls (flobarts).
The elm is also much higher in bonsai, mainly using Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia). Parvifolia meaning "small leaves" this species lends itself more easily to the bonsai.
Used as wood arc, it was used to manufacture bows.