Slippery Elm

Ulmus rubra

Slippery elm is a nutritive and mucilaginous botanical that’s commonly used to soothe and lubricate tissues throughout the digestive tract.*

HERBAL BENEFITS

Common Name Gray Elm, Moose Elm, Red Elm, Soft Elm

Family Name Ulmaceae

Parts Used Inner bark

Herbal Actions Demulcent, Emollient, Astringent

Health Benefits Digestion, Seasonal Care, Throat Health

More Slippery Elm info

This soothing, silky bark is known as every singer’s best friend.

The name elm or ulm derives from Teutonic (Germanic) and nearly all Celtic dialectics. In Teutonic mythology, the tree formed the very first woman, named Elma, and the ash of the first name, Aske. In the United States, Ulmus was first named botanically by a colonial plant collector and Scottish botanist named William Aiton.

However, this specific elm was (and still is) used and well-loved by First Nations People in North America way before the United States ever existed. Depending on the tribal nation, the inner bark was used in many different ways. For instance, a decoction was traditionally drunk as a laxative by the Menominee who live near the state now called Wisconsin. They also reported to use the plant topically to draw out impurities from wounds. Other tribal nations consumed slippery elm tea during the last two months of pregnancy to support labor.

American herbalists of European descent primarily used this plant as a nutritive tonic and demulcent. The American Eclectics, for instance, commonly prescribed this drink to soothe dry tissues in the lining of the stomach and GI tract.* When food was scarce, early American settlers mixed slippery elm with meal to create a bread-like food. In more recent history, slippery elm became more widely known through the popularization of commercially-available lozenges in the 19th Century.

Slippery elm’s native habitat is the Midwest to the east coast, with its northernmost point in southern Quebec and its southernmost point in north Florida. It’s a medium-sized tree that generally grows to about 60-70 feet tall and thrives in moist uplands but can sometimes be found in dry limestone soils. This elm is also a very shade tolerant understory tree and can be found growing in floodplains and rocky slopes. Some healthy trees can live to be as old as 200 years.

In the wild you may be able to identify this plant by its leaves. The leaves are wide, large, and broadly elliptical to ovate. They are sandpaper-like on both sizes and often very green. When the inner bark is harvested sustainably, the tree can easily live on. Traditional wild collectors steward the lands and do not cut down the trees, they simply leave a vertical strip of bark—a foot or wider—so that the tree can thrive and be harvested again in future years.

Products that contain Slippery Elm

Throat Coat® Eucalyptus Mint Lozenges

Soothes Sore Throats and Relieves Coughs*

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Throat Coat<sup>®</sup> Eucalyptus Tea package box

Throat Coat® Eucalyptus Tea

Supports Throat and Respiratory Health*

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Throat Coat® Lemon Ginger Echinacea Lozenges

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Throat Coat® Lemon Echinacea Tea

Supports Throat Health and Immune Function*

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Throat Coat® Sweet Orange Fennel Lozenges

Soothes Sore Throats and Relieves Coughs*

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Throat Coat® Tea

Supports Throat Health*

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Additional Information

Important Precautions:

Consult your healthcare practitioner prior to use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Legal Disclaimer:

The information and other content in this article are designed to provide a general overview of the botany, cultural history, and traditional uses of this herb. It is not intended and should not be construed as health advice. Every person is unique and you should consult with your health care provider before using any herbal product or supplement.

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More Slippery Elm info

Products that contain Slippery Elm

Throat Coat® Eucalyptus Mint Lozenges

Throat Coat® Eucalyptus Tea

Throat Coat® Lemon Ginger Echinacea Lozenges

Throat Coat® Lemon Echinacea Tea

Throat Coat® Sweet Orange Fennel Lozenges

Throat Coat® Tea

Additional Information

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