Scientific Name
Ulmus rubra
Trade Name
Slippery elm
Family Name
Common Names
Elm, Gray elm, Red elm, Slippery elm, Soft elm
Regions of Distribution
North America
Countries of Distribution [VIEW MAP]
Canada, United States
Common Uses
Baskets, Boxes and crates, Building materials, Casks, Cooperages, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Farm vehicles, Figured veneer, Food containers, Interior construction, Interior trim, Machinery parts, Millwork, Moldings, Packing cases, Pallets, Plywood, Skids, Trimming, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Wainscotting, Wheels
Environmental Profile
| Extinct | ||||||||||||
| Endangered | ||||||||||||
| Abundant/Secure | ||||||||||||
| Status has not been officially assessed |
Distribution Overview
The growth range of Slippery elm in North America extends from southern Ontario east to extreme southern Quebec and southwest Maine, south to northwest Florida, west to central Texas, and north to southeast North Dakota. It is often found in hardwood forests, particularly on lower slopes and flood plains, but often on dry uplands. It thrives on moist soils.
Heartwood Color
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Dark brown | ||||||||||||
| Brown |
Sapwood Color
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Light brown | ||||||||||||
| Grey | ||||||||||||
| Cream |
Grain
| Even | ||||||||||||
| Figure | ||||||||||||
| Irregular | ||||||||||||
| Straight |
| Straight | ||||||||||||
| Irregular |
Texture
| Even or uniform | ||||||||||||
| Fine | ||||||||||||
| Coarse |
Luster
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Low |
Natural Durability
| Non-resistant to marine borers | ||||||||||||
| Non-resistant to termites | ||||||||||||
| Very little natural resistance | ||||||||||||
| Susceptible to attack by fungi | ||||||||||||
| Decay’s readily |
Odor
| No characteristic taste | ||||||||||||
| Licorice scent |
Silica Content
| Siliceous |
Kiln Schedules
| T6 – D4 (4/4) US | ||||||||||||
| T5 – D3 (8/4)US |
Drying Defects
| Checking | ||||||||||||
| Distortion | ||||||||||||
| Warping can be expected | ||||||||||||
| Checking |
Ease of Drying
| Medium to High Shrinkage |
Air-Seasons at a more rapid rate than most woods, but requires low temperatures in kiln drying
Tree Size
| Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm |
Product Sources
The timber is commonly mixed and sold together with American elm under the trade name ‘Elm’ or ‘Soft elm’. Prices are in the moderate range and supplies are high.
Comments
Wood contains yellow and orange compounds, which can be removed with benezene
Boring
| Bores well, although heavy, strong, and very tough |
Cutting Resistance
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw | ||||||||||||
| Woolly |
Mortising
| Easy to mortise |
Nailing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Holds nails well | ||||||||||||
| Good nailing properties |
Planing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Irregular grain interferes | ||||||||||||
| Difficult to plane |
Resistance to Impregnation
| Resistant heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Resistant sapwood | ||||||||||||
| Responds well to treatment |
Sanding
| Satisfactory |
Screwing
| Possible if prebored |
Turning
Wild grain requires some care in turning operations
Steam Bending
| Excellent response |
Polishing
| Fair to Good Results |
Staining
| Responds well to conventional finishes |
Strength Properties
Strenght properties are good, average resistance to shock and abrasion
Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
| Bending Strength | 7938 | 12054 | psi |
| Crushing Strength | 461 | 862 | psi |
| Hardness | 843 | lbs | |
| Impact Strength | 60 | 67 | inches |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 3317 | 5836 | psi |
| Shearing Strength | 1597 | psi | |
| Static Bending | 3822 | 4410 | psi |
| Stiffness | 1220 | 1470 | 1000 psi |
| Work to Maximum Load | 18 | 18 | inch-lbs/in3 |
| Specific Gravity | 0.47 | 0.56 | |
| Weight | 54 | 38 | lbs/ft3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 4 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 10 | % | |
| Volumetric Shrinkage | 15 | % | |
| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
| Bending Strength | 558 | 847 | kg/cm2 |
| Crushing Strength | 32 | 60 | kg/cm2 |
| Hardness | 382 | kg | |
| Impact Strength | 152 | 170 | cm |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 233 | 410 | kg/cm2 |
| Shearing Strength | 112 | kg/cm2 | |
| Static Bending | 268 | 310 | kg/cm2 |
| Stiffness | 85 | 103 | 1000 kg/cm2 |
| Work to Maximum Load | 1.26 | 1.26 | cm-kg/cm3 |
| Specific Gravity | 0.47 | 0.56 | |
| Weight | 865 | 608 | kg/m3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 4 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 10 | % |
References
Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Madison, Wisconsin.
Canadian Forestry Service. 1981. Canadian Woods – Their Properties and Uses. Third Edition. E.J. Mullins and T.S. McKnight, Editors. Published by University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada.
Kline, M. 1986. Ulmus rubra – Slippery elm. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 357.
Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees – Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Konpf, New York.
Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Edition. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.
USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook – Wood as an Engineering Material, Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 72, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.
USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.