Slippery Elm (Red Elm)
Ulmus rubra
Family: Ulmaceae
Perennial tree. Native to North America. The inner bark is probably
the best mucilagenous demulcent known to herbalist. Dried strips
may be placed in a glass of cold water at bedside, and by morning this
water will have become a thick, white mucilage. This is an excellent
beverage for treating sore throat, laryngitis, bronchitis or stomach
or duodenal ulcer. The fresh or dried inner bark also makes a good
survival food. It is a chaw that keeps on giving. I will never
forget the visage of serious-faced Paul Strauss walking into a posh hotel
in Cincinnati with an Elm log on his shoulder and a draw knife in his hand...
He was not hassled. Because of harvest pressure, and especially
because of the ravages of Dutch Elm disease, Slippery Elm populations are
dwindling, and if one is to use it for medicine, it makes sense to plant
the trees. Cultivation: Sow seed just under soil surface
and tamp in. Germination initiates in 20 days, ~30% by day 50, more
germination the second spring. Grow out for a year in pots before
transplanting.
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