Slippery Elm Tree - History and Information

The slippery elm tree is a tree that provides us with shade and also soothes us.

No contemporary herb or food comes close to matching the place of honor held by the ubiquitous, widely used, slippery elm in 19th century America. Slippery Elm, or Ulmus rubra, is a deciduous tree that is native to North America, grown in the woods of eastern Canada and the United States.

Geographically, this tree is found growing in central and southern North America - Maine to Florida, west to Texas and North Dakota. Its natural habitat is deep rich soil on the banks of streams and low rocky hillsides. The land should not be water-logged though. Typically, the tree would reach a stately height of 60 feet or so.

Other common names for the slippery elm tree are Amerikan Karaagaci, Indian Elm, Moose Elm, Red Elm, Sweet Elm, Ulmus rubra, and Ulmus fulva.

Native Indian Americans were the first to discover the medicinal properties of the tree, particularly slippery elm inner bark, also known as slippery elm bark.

Slippery elm bark, when placed in contact with water, produces a gummy substance or mucilage, which swells and becomes a soothing ointment. This property of the bark of the slippery elm tree makes the slippery elm herb very unique in its own right.

This soothing substance was used by Native Americans as a salve to heal wounds, and subsequently, on drying, became a natural bandage. Also, another notable practice amongst Native Americans was the use of slippery elm wrappings around meat to prevent spoilage.

The widespread use of slippery elm bark was keenly noted by the early English settlers and they, too, started including it in their medicinal treatments for cold sores, boils and wounds.

The other uses that the colonists used slippery elm bark for, was to give relief to persons with sore throats, coughs and urinary tract infections.

During the periods of war and strife, slippery elm came in very handy as a topical antiseptic cream to treat war wounds from gunshots, and also was used as survival food during the war, in the form of a nutritious gruel which can be made by mixing slippery elm bark with water.

This gruel is a soothing concoction that was served even to very small children and old, sick people unable to digest normal food. It was also ingested as treatment for coughs and respiratory problems, including sore throats.

More on the uses and benefits of slippery elm tree and bark are discussed in the related articles on slippery elm.

Slippery Elm Pages | Slippery Elm Tree - History and Information | Uses and Health Benefits of Slippery Elm | Slippery Elm Tea, Slippery Elm Powder, and Other Methods of Slippery Elm Use | Possible Negative Effects of Slippery Elm

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