Elm, American

American Elm is a light wood with wide, distinct annual rings. Narrow greyish splinter, and the core can be multicolored in stripes, and fields with ground color in yellowish, reddish and brown shades. The wood is heavy splitting, tough, elastic and durable with high breaking strength. Should be impregnated in alternating wet and dry conditions. Moderate shrinkage. Elm can be very decorative and is used for vessel making, for earth and water construction, e.g. bottom planks and sluice gates as well as furniture, veneer, fixtures, panels.