Wood Species Guide
Red Elm
Ulmus rubra
Also called: Slippery Elm, Soft Elm, Gray Elm, Moose Elm
What Red Elm looks like
Heartwood is a warm reddish brown, often a little redder than American elm, with a narrow pale sapwood. The color deepens with age.
Grain and texture
Interlocked grain with a coarse texture. Flatsawn boards show a bold, wavy growth-ring figure.
Working Red Elm: planing, cutting and gluing
Works much like American elm: tough, not especially hard, and resistant to splitting. It can fuzz and tear out on the planer, so keep knives sharp. Steam-bends well and glues fine.
Finishing Red Elm: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Takes oil and clear finishes nicely and the grain pattern shows well. The open, porous grain pushes bubbles into epoxy, so seal-coat before a pour or flood coat.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Not rot resistant and attractive to powderpost beetles. Elm warps while drying, so look for flat, well-dried stock. In Florida, acclimate it indoors and finish both faces.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
Red elm is sold mixed with American elm as soft elm, and its slabs can be wide and wildly figured. The inner bark is the slippery elm of old herbal remedies, which is where the other name comes from. Salvaged red elm makes handsome live-edge tables if you flatten in stages. We don't stock it, but ask us and we can often source it.
Common uses for Red Elm
Furniture, live-edge tables, chair seats, boxes, crates, veneer and bent parts.
Sustainability and CITES status
Not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List. Like American elm, mature trees were hit hard by Dutch elm disease.
Safety and toxicity
- Skin irritation
- Eye irritation
Elm dust occasionally irritates eyes and skin, and a few allergy reports exist. Serious reactions are rare.
- In the shop
- Dust collection + mask when sanding
- Food contact
- Use with care for cutting boards, bowls and utensils
General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.
Elm dust can act as a sensitizer, usually as eye and skin irritation. Use dust collection and a mask.
Red Elm in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Red Elm listed online right now, but new slabs and lumber come in all the time and not everything makes it to the website. Tell us what you're building and we'll check our racks and suppliers.
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