Elm

Origin	North America, Europe, Asia
Raw density	440 -800 kg/m³
Durability class	4
Radial shrinkage	0,17 – 0,2 %
Tangential shrinkage	0,27 – 0,29 %
Wood color	light brown to gray-brown to red-brown and darkening under the influence of light
Wood structure	Early wood: coarse and ring-pored; late wood: pores fine and mostly united to form wavy bands
Use	Veneers, furniture, stairs, parquet flooring, household items

The genus Ulmus comprises 41 species, predominantly in the northern hemisphere, mainly in East Asia (27 species), North America (9 species) and Europe (5 species). The structure and technical properties of the woods are similar, but make it difficult to differentiate between the species. The wood color varies depending on the species. In German, elm wood is known as ‘Rüster’, in English as ‘elm’, in French as ‘orme’ and in Chinese as ‘yu shu’. Due to diseases, in particular Dutch elm disease caused by the elm splint beetle, the availability of European elm wood has been limited since the 1920s. The elm wood marketed in Europe today comes mainly from China. European and American elm species are only of limited relevance as wood suppliers. In Central Europe, the fluttering elm, field elm and mountain elm are represented.

Elm wood, also known as “elm”, is characterized by its striking structure and decorative grain. The light sapwood is set off from the heartwood, the color of which varies from light brown to dark reddish brown depending on the species. The wood is ring-porous and has coarse earlywood pore rings and fine, wavy latewood pores in bands. With a mostly broad sapwood and variable core coloration, elm woods are decorative. The moderately heavy wood is tough, easy to bend and can be worked well with standard tools. It is suitable for furniture, stairs, parquet flooring, woodturning, toys and more. The natural durability is moderate against fungi and insects, but very high under water. Elm wood is highly valued in interior design, especially as veneer.

In ancient times, especially in ancient Greece, the elm tree had symbolic significance as a sign of death and mourning. In the Iliad, elms were planted by mountain nymphs around the tomb of Eëtion. In Norse mythology, the elm tree, called Embla, represented the tree from which the first humans were formed.

Sources: Wikipedia, Holz vom Fach(GD Holz)