This tree belongs to the elm family, and grows in Europe, Scandinavia, Crimea, the Caucasus and England. It grows up to 25 meters in height and can live for about 300 years. It has a straight trunk up to 1.5 meters in diameter, covered with a smooth, dark brown bark. It blooms from March to April, before the leaves open, in small, nondescript flowers with purple stamens. The fruits begin to ripen in May-June and look like rounded lionfish with a nut in the center. The elm bears fruit every year, starting at the age of seven. Frost resistant, and can withstand frosts down to -28 degrees. The tree has a powerful root system, it grows quite quickly: in a year it grows 50 cm in height and up to 30 cm in width.
Historical background
The name of the smooth elm was created from the Celtic "elm", which means elm. In Russia, this word was interpreted as a "flexible rod" and the wood of this tree was used for the production of carts and sledges. Using the flexibility of the elm, our ancestors used it as a good building material and also made weapons. This tree was used to make household utensils: arcs, shafts, knitting needles and much more.
The bark of the tree was used to tan leather, and the bast of this tree was used to make bast. Leaves and young shoots were fed to livestock.
Breeding and care
Reproduction of smooth elm occurs mainly by seeds, occasionally by shoots from it. Seeds can be stored in a hermetically sealed container for 2 years and do not lose their germination. Seeds are sown immediately after ripening for 1-2 weeks. In this case, preliminary preparation is not required. They are sown in rows with a pitch of 20-30 cm, covered with earth and watered abundantly. The elm is unpretentious to the conditions and easily tolerates excess moisture and its lack. It can grow in the shade, but thrives better in good light.
In the first weeks after planting, the sown seeds should be watered abundantly, and in hot weather they are covered with a film until the first shoots appear. When planting an elm, it should be borne in mind that it grows rapidly and that soon it will shade other light-loving plants with its crown. It has been noticed that smooth elm has a depressing effect on grapes. In this regard, one should take into account their intolerance to each other and plant them away from one another.
Elm diseases
With the help of bark beetles, the Dutch disease of this tree is spread. It is based on the fungus Ophiostoma ulmi and attacks weak trees. If damaged, the plant can die in a few weeks or hurt over the years.
Dutch disease is characterized by rapid drying of the branches. On such branches, leaves either do not bloom at all, or there are very few of them. When infected with this disease, the tree, as a rule, dies and cannot be saved. Basically, this disease progresses on highly moist soils.
Pharmacological properties and use in medicine
Smooth elm contains substances that are astringent, diuretic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial.
Traditional medicine uses decoctions of the bark of this tree to treat inflammation of the bladder, inflammation of the connective tissues, and edema. In addition, it was used for various skin diseases, as well as for diseases of the digestive system, for diarrhea. A decoction of elm leaves was used to treat colic, to heal wounds that did not heal for a long time.
For fever and colds, extracts from elm bark, with the addition of birch buds and willow, help. This infusion contains a lot of mucus (a product of cell secretion) and tannins, which have a beneficial effect on the human body in case of burns and dermatitis.
As a medicinal raw material, the bark and leaves of the smooth elm are harvested. The bark is harvested in the spring, when sap flows, and the leaves in June, in dry weather. Usually trees planned for felling are used for this purpose. The material prepared in this way is dried in places protected from direct sunlight. It can be used for 2 years. Decoctions and infusions are made from this medicinal raw material.
The wood of the smooth elm has a unique ability: it resists rotting for a long time in high humidity. This feature was widely used in Europe - pipes for water supply were made from the trunks of an elm tree hollowed out from the inside. For the construction of the first London Bridge, elm timber was used as supports.
This plant can be attributed to early honey plants. In good weather, you can see many bees collecting nectar near this tree.
Since the elm has a powerful root system, it is used in protective plantings, in turn, anchoring plantations. In addition, its leaves retain much more dust than other trees, and it successfully takes its place in park plantings.
Some common types
- English elm. Prefers the south and west of Europe. It is an integral part of deciduous, mixed forests, grows on rich soils near rivers and lakes. Very frost-resistant tree up to 50 meters high.
- Elm Androsov. It is a hybrid between squat and bushy elm. It can grow up to 20 meters in height. Loves moderately moist soil, but tolerates dry periods very well. Winter-hardy.
- Hornbeam elm. Undemanding to the soil, salt-tolerant, quite winter-hardy tree. It is used in the formation of hedges, in the design of parks, squares and gardens.
- Thick elm. Gives more preference to the wild nature of Central Asia. This tree has a dense, wide-pyramidal crown with a 30-meter trunk. Drought-resistant.
- Lobed elm. The main place of growth is East Asia and the Far East. A fairly shade-tolerant and frost-resistant tree.
- Squat elm. It can be found in the Far East, Transbaikalia, Korea, Japan and northern Mongolia. It is not a tall tree, up to 15 meters in height, and can often be seen as a bush. Well suited for greening new buildings, street plantings, parks and squares.
