European elm timber is a tough wood that has a closed texture, is twisted in the grain and has a conferring resistance to splitting. Marked distortion may however occur during seasoning. Whilst sapwood of European elm tends to be creamy in colour, the heartwood is a reddish-brown. It also contains clusters of pip-knots within this reddish brown which attractively figure the wood, enhancing its overall appearance. It has an approximate density of 550 kg/m3.