Elm

Scientific name: Ulmus minor
Common name: Field elm
 

It belongs to the Ulmaceae family. It is a deciduous tree, known for its longevity. The trunk can reach 2 meters in diameter and the branches touch 10 meters. The bark is initially gray and smooth, but with slow growth it thickens and cracks, changing to darker tones. Contrast the glossy, bright green leaves, which turn yellow in autumn. Tiny purple-red flowers sprout in spring. The fruits are green samaras.

"In the midst of it an immense, shadowy elm stretches out its branches and its yearning arms: they say this is the house where the vain Dreams usually stand, hanging, under each leaf," reads Virgil in the Aeneid, just before entering Avernus. In Ancient Greece, the elm tree is consecrated to Oneiros, son of Sleep and Night, then Morpheus in Rome. In both cases he is the deity of men's dreams. The elm is thus the tree of dream activity, later extended to the ability to foretell events. In medieval times, it gains further prestige, along with the oak, as the tree under which to administer justice.

You may have encountered an elm tree on the roadsides. It is an excellent windbreak, and its thick foliage provides plenty of shade. Since ancient times, potassium, silica and the tannic substances in its bark and leaves have provided gastro-intestinal relief. Herbal teas and extracts derived from the infusion are depurative and anti-inflammatory. Cosmetically, elm is used as a healer, both for minor abrasions and acne.