Slippery Elm Bark (Ulmus fulva)
What it is: The elm tree is part of the Ulmaceae family; other members include nettles. It has large, rust hairy buds. White, mildly scented, the inner bark of this tree is very mucilaginous. Leaves are oval, 3-7 inches long, to 3 inches wide; sides of base distinctly unequal. Leaves are sandpapery above, soft & hairy below, sharply double toothed. Fruits are papery, winged, yellowish with one seed, about ½ inches wide without hairs on margins.
Unproven medical virtues: Traditionally used for sore throats, upset stomach, indigestion, digestive irritation, stomach ulcers, coughs, pleurisy. Once used as a nutritive broth for children and the elderly and for those who had difficulty eating or digesting food. Externally, the thick tea, made from the inner bark, was applied to fresh wounds, ulcers, burns, scalds. Science confirms this herb is soothing to mucous membranes and softens hardened tissue.
Where to find it: It can be propagated by cuttings, or young trees can be purchased at nurseries. The tree is relatively adaptable and easy to grow, but in moist locations, it does best in soil that been enriched with compost or leaf mold.
Where to harvest: The pinkish white inner bark of the tree contains the tree’s healing properties. You can collect it in the spring or fall. Should you wish to harvest your own Slippery Elm Bark, strip the bark from the branches, rather than from the main trunk system of the tree so that you do not damage the tree.
Remember…. It would be best to purchase this bark because by carelessly stripping off the bark, the novice could kill the tree. Use only reliable sources. Sometimes the commercial product is adulterated with inferior flour or other starchy substances, which create a gravy-like decoction, so beware: the SEB should be light beige.
Also! I have had experienced with both the "cotton cut" and the cut and sifted. I would not recommend the cotton cut because with the cut and sifted, during the heating process, it will thin out better, allowing for it to pass through your strainer easier.
What it is: The elm tree is part of the Ulmaceae family; other members include nettles. It has large, rust hairy buds. White, mildly scented, the inner bark of this tree is very mucilaginous. Leaves are oval, 3-7 inches long, to 3 inches wide; sides of base distinctly unequal. Leaves are sandpapery above, soft & hairy below, sharply double toothed. Fruits are papery, winged, yellowish with one seed, about ½ inches wide without hairs on margins.
Unproven medical virtues: Traditionally used for sore throats, upset stomach, indigestion, digestive irritation, stomach ulcers, coughs, pleurisy. Once used as a nutritive broth for children and the elderly and for those who had difficulty eating or digesting food. Externally, the thick tea, made from the inner bark, was applied to fresh wounds, ulcers, burns, scalds. Science confirms this herb is soothing to mucous membranes and softens hardened tissue.
Where to find it: It can be propagated by cuttings, or young trees can be purchased at nurseries. The tree is relatively adaptable and easy to grow, but in moist locations, it does best in soil that been enriched with compost or leaf mold.
Where to harvest: The pinkish white inner bark of the tree contains the tree’s healing properties. You can collect it in the spring or fall. Should you wish to harvest your own Slippery Elm Bark, strip the bark from the branches, rather than from the main trunk system of the tree so that you do not damage the tree.
Remember…. It would be best to purchase this bark because by carelessly stripping off the bark, the novice could kill the tree. Use only reliable sources. Sometimes the commercial product is adulterated with inferior flour or other starchy substances, which create a gravy-like decoction, so beware: the SEB should be light beige.
Also! I have had experienced with both the "cotton cut" and the cut and sifted. I would not recommend the cotton cut because with the cut and sifted, during the heating process, it will thin out better, allowing for it to pass through your strainer easier.