The tip is drawn out to a long, narrow point. The upper surface of the leaf is dark green and very rough while the under-surface is lighter and hairy. This rough leaf distinguishes it from the American elm which has a smooth leaf. A single seed is surrounded by a thin, papery wing, smooth around the edge. It is common to see small drifts of elm seeds along sidewalks in metropolitan areas after a heavy rain.
Twigs are slender to moderately stout.
They are grey and very rough to the touch. The bark on older trees is reddish-brown. It is furrowed with platy or scaly ridges and the inner bark contains a sticky sap once used as a medicine by Indians and pioneers. Like American elm, the seeds, buds, and leaves of slippery elm furnish food for the grey and fox squirrel and deer. The wood of slippery elm is heavy, tough, and strong.