Finding Elm trees

[nclonghunter]

I have been searching for Elm trees in North Carolina, but could not find any despite I was told they grow here and identification books say they do. Just took a trip to Wva and searched family land and located about ten trees (American Elm) by spotting the seed clusters hanging. Managed to get one branch with a hand saw that was decent. Came back to NC and went out this morning and found an Elm within spitting distance of my back door. It is I believe a Slippery Elm and I was able to locate it by the same seed clusters. The tree was about a foot at the base and straight with few limbs. I got five bow length logs which should split well. If you want Elm, right now s a good time to get out and spot those leaf clusters...good luck!

L.A. Clark

[jamie]

Now that ya found it study the bark. The outside will feel like cork. Also slippery elm likes wet feet. If there are vernal pools , there's usually elm. Good luck with the splitting, elms tough stuff

[Hillbilly]

LA, in most areas of the NC Piedmont that I have been in, winged elm is one of the most common trees in the woods, or at least the wood edges and old grown-over fields. Slippery elm is fairly common too. Once you get "tuned in" on what to look for, you'll see them everywhere.

[nclonghunter]

Hillbilly, the next step is getting the logs split and start making some bows...
I have not found any winged elm, but plenty of those sweet gum trees that are everywhere have the wings on their branches also. The bark is different on a sweet gum (Liquidambar) than a winged elm.

[Hillbilly]

The elm branches and twigs are also a lot smaller/finer textured than the sweetgum, and the elm is just generally more "twiggy looking."

[bhenders]

Has anyone ever used Chinese Elms?  I know that trying to split some for a fire is a difficult job.

[Badger]

Cinese elm is common in Los Angeles. I get tired just thinking about splitting it. You can bury your wedges in elm before it will split. Most of the white elms are very similar in how they behave, elm is a great bow wood. Red Elm I don't recomend for self bows as it behaves nothing like the white wood elms. If you have access to a large bandsaw I would sugest sawing out your staves if you can. Elm is not all that fussy about the grain lines splitting as you might see with other woods. Might just be me but it seels elm takes loner to dry than most any other wood I have worked with so I never rush it anymore. Steve

[jbnizzle]

here here ohh not the contrere,
 
                I see it everywhere here in Orlando for landscape use .I was turned
           off though because
        Doug Wallentine  Making Bows the Old Fashioned Way states that Chinese
        Elm is not a good bow wood.. 

[Hillbilly]

True Chinese elm is fine for bow wood. Siberian elm (which is commonly called "Chinese elm" in some parts of the US,) is not-it's weak and brittle wood. Real Chinese elm is planted a lot in landscapes and usually has flaky, peeling bark and really small leaves. The wood is fairly heavy and dense. Siberian elm was planted a lot throughout the midwest and northern states as a windbreak, shade tree, etc. It is basically a giant weed.