Slippery Elm

photos by Erin Barkkume

Slippery Elm, Ulmus rubra, is a tree that grows in Texas, as well as throughout much of the United States and Canada.  In fact I have a beauty in my garden.  The inner bark of the tree is the part used medicinally. Click to view the beautiful picture of the bark on my website.  One has to cut the bark and scrape out the cambium layer to obtain the shredded bark which is formulated into herbal teas, tinctures, and other herbal preparations.  You can imagine that this is very hard on the tree and the tree is often sacrificed in order to harvest this inner bark material.  Therefore, to spare the destruction of this precious resource, alternative herbs are often used in place of Slippery Elm such as Marshmallow Root, Comfrey Root or Licorice Root.

Slippery Elm bark is considered an “At-Risk” plant and should be used sparingly, only when needed.  An “At-Risk” plant is an herb that has been either over-harvested in the wild, or has lost its natural habitat.  The organization, United Plant Savers: www.unitedplantsavers.org is a grass-roots group of herbalists and lovers of the green that educate the public about which plants are to be watched, and hopefully encourage plant lovers to grow these herbs in our own gardens. The organization provides additional information and suggestions as well.  I encourage all of you to join this group as it will help protect many herbs for our future generations.

The potent remedy of the inner bark should be harvested from a 10 year old bark.  We need to wait for Slippery Elm. Also known as Indian Elm, Moose Elm, Sweet Elm, Soft Elm and more, Slippery Elm is a soothing remedy for inflammation, particularly gastro-intestinal irritation.  I also like it for respiratory issues, and use it as my demulcent herb in my customized bronchial teas which I make during the colder months. Please email me and request this customized tea.  During convalescence, Slippery Elm gruel was often used as a nutritive food..  Its ability to allay nausea makes it palatable during that time. In times of famine, early American settlers used it as a survival food; George Washington and his troops survived for several days on Slippery Elm gruel during the bitter winter at Valley Forge. I mixed it with oatmeal and fed it to my husband after an illness and it is really quite good with honey, or maple syrup added.

In frontier days the bark was often chewed as a thirst quencher.  Slippery Elm is rich in mucilage which is beneficial when used externally as a poultice for abscesses, sores and wounds.  In fact, I use Slippery Elm powder in my now famous, Lovely Lubricant for a soothing lubrication for irritations in sensitive areas.

A beautiful tree, with amazing properties, Slippery Elm offers her benefits to be taken when needed.   It would be fun to grow your own, but if that’s not plausible, purchase the organically cultivated herb.

Thank you Slippery Elm.