Herb: Rock Elm


Latin name: Ulmus thomasii


Synonyms: Ulmus racemosa


Family: Ulmaceae (Elm Family)



Edible parts of Rock Elm:

Leaves - raw or cooked.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
30 m
(98 feet)

Flowering:
April

Habitat of the herb:

Rich woods and calcareous uplands. Dry gravelly uplands, low heavy clay soils, rocky slopes and river cliffs.

Other uses of Rock Elm:

Wood - very strong, hard, heavy, tough, elastic, durable, close and beautifully grained, difficult to split. It weighs 45lb per cubic foot and is used for furniture, agricultural implements, wheel hubs and other purposes demanding toughness, solidity and flexibility.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - if sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe, it usually germinates within a few days. Stored seed does not germinate so well and should be sown in early spring. The seed can also be harvested "green" (when it has fully developed but before it dries on the tree) and sown immediately in a cold frame. It should germinate very quickly and will produce a larger plant by the end of the growing season. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Plants should not be allowed to grow for more than two years in a nursery bed since they form a tap root and will then move badly. Layering of suckers or coppiced shoots.

Cultivation of Rock Elm:

Rich woods and calcareous uplands. Dry gravelly uplands, low heavy clay soils, rocky slopes and river cliffs.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Ulmus thomasii:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.