American Elm

American Elm (Ulmus americana)

Common Name(s): American Elm, Soft Elm, Water Elm

Scientific Name: Ulmus americana

Distribution: Eastern to Midwest United States

Tree Size: 100 ft (30 m) tall, 3 ft (1 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 38 lbs/ft³ (605 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .46

Hardness: 830 lb_f (3,690 N)

Bending Strength: 11,800 lb_f/in² (81,380 kPa)

Elasticity: 1,340,000 lb_f/in² (9,240 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 4.2%, Tangential: 9.5%, Volumetric: 14.6%, T/R Ratio: 2.3

Color/Appearance: Heartwood is a light to medium brown, sometimes with a hint of red. Sapwood is a pale white or cream color.

Grain/Pore: Has a medium texture and moderate-sized pores. Grain is sometimes straight, but commonly interlocked.

Durability: Rated as moderately durable to non-durable in regard to heartwood decay, but is susceptible to insect attack, and living trees are very commonly destroyed by Dutch elm disease.

Workability: Can be a challenge to work because of interlocked grain, especially on quartersawn surfaces. Planing can cause tearout and/or fuzzy surfaces. Glues, stains, and finishes well.

Smell: There is no characteristic odor associated with this wood species.

Safety: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Elm in the Ulmus genus has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye and skin irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price Range: Should be moderately priced, though availability from mature trees has been greatly diminished by Dutch elm disease.

Comments: Elm trees are commonly infected with Dutch elm disease, a fungal disease spread by elm bark beetles. D.E.D. has wiped out millions of Elm trees worldwide.

Common uses for elm include: boxes, baskets, furniture, hockey sticks, veneer, wood pulp, and papermaking.

Related Species:

Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia)

Dutch Elm (Ulmus x hollandica)

English Elm (Ulmus procera)

Red Elm (Ulmus rubra)

Rock Elm (Ulmus thomasii)

Winged Elm (Ulmus alata)

Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra)

Scans/Pictures: Shown below is a piece of lumber from a small tree that was killed by Dutch elm disease. Being so young, there was very little heartwood formed yet, (the darker brown wood on the right half), with the majority of the wood being sapwood (light area on the left half of the scans).

American Elm (sanded)