Timberpedia - English Elm

English Elm

Latin Name:Irish Name:Native to Ireland?
Ulmus minor var. vulgaris No

About the Tree

Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees, There are approximately 30 to 40 species of elm.
Large deciduous tree. Susceptible to Dutch Elm disease and accordingly not planted any more.
Leaves once used for livestock.

“English” Elm is not actually native to the UK (nor Ireland), having been brought in from Flanders
when the English needed the timber to build warships for their early navy.

About the Wood

Good suitability for woodcarving. Straight grained pieces carve well, but pieces with twisted grain
are difficult.

Strong and supple pale brown wood. Prone to shake. Cannot be split leading to particular uses.
Does not decay when immersed in water.

Used to be used to make chests, water pipes and troughs and for sea defenses. Also for sections
for cow sheds, cribs and mangers, hubs of wheels, coffins and furniture.

English elm in east sussex English elms in hedgerow
English Elm trees - panoramio English elms in Australia
Bark of Ulmus minor 'Procera' English elm bark
About the TimberPedia

Know your wood! The Timberpedia is a broad resource that aims to catalogue all the major tree species in Ireland, containing information that we’ve gathered from over two decades maintaining our natural woodland and serving Ireland’s woodworking industry.

All written material is copyright © 2021 by the Lisnavagh Timber Project.

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