Celtis caucasica
a perennial woody deciduous member of the Celtis genus in the family Ulmaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Fruit - raw[7][2]. A mealy pleasant taste[8]. The fruit is about 4 - 5mm in diameter, it has a thin, dry, sweet flesh with a pleasant flavour but a slight astringency[K]. The trees often produce large crops of fruit in Britain, but there is so little that is edible on each fruit that it is scarcely worthwhile[K].
- Plant part
- Fruit
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Wood - very tough, elastic, durable, of high quality[8][5]. An excellent fuel[5].
- Product or use
- Fuel
- Product or use
- Wood
Ecology and functions
- Ecosystem niche
- Canopy
Environment
- Range
- E. Europe to Asia - Bulgaria to the Himalayas.
- Habitat
- Dry stony bluffs, rocks, ravines etc and occasionally as undergrowth in clearings[8].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 6+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerances
- drought
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- tolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[6]. Stored seed is best given 2 - 3 months cold stratification and then sown February/March in a greenhouse[9][6]. Germination rates are usually good, though the stored seed might take 12 months or more to germinate. The seed can be stored for up to 5 years[4]. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots. The leaves of seedlings often have a lot of white patches without chlorophyll, this is normal and older plants produce normal green leaves. Grow the seedlings on in a cold frame for their first winter, and plant them out in the following late spring or early summer[K]. Give them some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors. Cuttings
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Succeeds in any reasonably good soil, preferring a good fertile well-drained loamy soil[1][3][6]. Succeeds on dry gravels and on sandy soils[6]. Established plants are very drought resistant[8][6]. Trees prefer hotter summers and more sunlight than are normally experienced in Britain, they often do not fully ripen their wood when growing in this country and they are then very subject to die-back in winter[1][3][6]. Trees can be very long-lived, perhaps to 1000 years[6]. This species is closely allied to C. australis but it is much hardier and is more likely to thrive in Britain than most other species in this genus[3][6]. A tree at Kew in September 1989 was 12 metres tall though it was not bearing fruit[K]. Coppices well[5]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[6].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00
Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009
Gamble. J. S. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1972-00-00
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7
Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00
Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00