Slippery elm

Leaves

Form

• Fragrant, widest above the middle
• Tip elongated, base markedly oblique
• Upper surface very rough, hairy
• Lower surface hairy
• About 15 veins per side, several forked

Length

• 15–20 cm

Colour

• Upper surface dark green
• Lower surface paler

Margin

• Hairy

Petiole

• Short, hairy

Buds

Form

• Tip rounded
• Flower buds almost globular

Length

• 6 mm

Colour

• Dark brown, with reddish-brown hairs, especially at the tip

Twigs

Form

• Moderately stout, hairy
• Lenticels prominent

Colour

• Greyish-brown

Flowers

Form

• Each on a separate short stalk, in dense tassel-like clusters (fascicles)

Structure

• Synoecious

Fruits

Form

• Almost round; with a line extending from the stalk to the shallow notch at the tip of the wing
• Hairs cover the seedcase, otherwise hairless

Length

• 10–15 mm

Colour

• Hairs reddish-brown

Bark

Form

• Shallowly furrowed with irregular, vertical, scaly ridges
• Inner bark layers fragrant, mucilaginous

Colour

• Brownish, outer bark layers uniform brown

Size

Height

• To 25 m

Diameter

• To 60 cm

Maximum age

• 125 years

Tree form

Forest-grown

Trunk

• Divides into a few wide-spreading upright limbs

Crown

• Broad, flat-topped
• Principal branches curve up, then spread out or droop

Root system

• Shallow, wide-spreading

Habitat

Site

• Rich soils along streams and adjacent slopes
• Sometimes found on rocky ridges

Light tolerance

• Full sunlight or light shade