Practical
Plants

Celtis occidentalis

Hackberry

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Celtis genus in the family Ulmaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Ulmaceae
Genus
Celtis
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
20 m
Spread
20 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw[9][15][18][4]. Very sweet and pleasant tasting, they can be eaten out of hand or can be used for making jellies, preserves etc[8]. The fruit is often produced abundantly in Britain, it is about the size of a blackcurrant, but there is very little flesh surrounding a large seed and it is therefore a very fiddly crop[K]. The flesh is dry and mealy but with a pleasant sweet taste[K]. Seed[19]. No more details. The fruit and seed can be ground up finely together and used as a flavouring[6][8]. The N. American Indians ate them with parched corn[8].

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An extract obtained from the wood has been used in the treatment of jaundice[11]. A decoction of the bark has been used in the treatment of sore throats[14]. When combined with powdered shells it has been used to treat VD[14].

Product or use
Miscellany
Product or use
VD

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A dye is obtained from the roots[20]. No more details are given. Fairly wind-tolerant, it can be planted as part of a shelterbelt[10]. Wood - rather soft, weak, coarse-grained, heavy. It weighs 45lb per cubic foot and is sometimes used commercially for cheap furniture, veneer, fencing fuel etc[17][20][22][7][12].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Fuel
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - Quebec to Manitoba, North Carolina, Missouri and Oklahoma.
Habitat
Dry to moist and rich woods, river banks, rocky barrens etc[16]. Frequently found on limestone soils[13].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 2+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind, drought
Wind
Yes
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[10]. Stored seed is best given 2 - 3 months cold stratification and then sown February/March in a greenhouse[21][10]. 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[3]. 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][2][10]. Succeeds on dry gravels and on sandy soils[10]. Tolerates alkaline soils[5]. Established plants are very drought resistant[4][5][10]. Wind resistant[5]. Trees transplant easily[11]. 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][2][10]. Plants in the wild are very variable in size, ranging from small shrubs to large trees[16]. They are fast-growing[23][13], and can be very long-lived, perhaps to 1000 years[10]. Only to 200 years according to another report[13]. They usually produce good crops of fruit annually[13]. Trees respond well to coppicing, readily sending up suckers after cutting or the top being killed off in a fire[11]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[10].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

    ↩

  4. Vines. R. A. Trees of Central Texas. University of Texas Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-292-78958-3

    ↩1↩2

  5. Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩

  7. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩

  8. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  9. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  10. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

  11. Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0889025649

    ↩1↩2↩3

  12. Vines. R.A. Trees of North Texas University of Texas Press. 1982-00-00 ISBN 0292780206

    ↩

  13. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  14. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

  15. Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7

    ↩

  16. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  17. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  18. Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973-00-00

    ↩

  19. Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.

    ↩

  20. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  21. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩

  22. Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X

    ↩

  23. Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.

    ↩

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