Practical
Plants

Celtis reticulata

Paloblanco

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

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Taxonomy and growth

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

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit - raw or cooked[11][12][2][6][10]. Sweet and fleshy. The fruit can also be made into a jelly or used as a seasoning for savoury foods[7]. It can be dried and stored for winter use[10]. The fruit is about 10mm in diameter[8], it has a thin flesh with a single large seed[K].

Plant part
Fruit

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.

The plant has been used in the treatment of indigestion[10].

Product or use
Stomachic

Material uses

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

A brown or red dye can be obtained from the leaves and branches[10]. Wood - heavy but soft and weak, it is not commercially important[9]. It can be used as a firewood[10].

Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy, Secondary canopy

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - Kansas to Texas, Colorado and California.
Habitat
Dry limestone hillsides, rocky ridges and canyon slopes[14].
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[8]. Stored seed is best given 2 - 3 months cold stratification and then sown February/March in a greenhouse[13][8]. 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][8]. Succeeds on dry gravels and on sandy soils[8]. Established plants are very drought resistant[8]. A moderate to slow-growing tree in the wild[9]. It prefers hotter summers and more sunlight than are normally experienced in Britain, so it often does not fully ripen its wood when growing in this country and is then very subject to die-back in winter[1][3][8]. Trees can be very long-lived, perhaps to 1000 years[8]. Considered by some botanists to be no more than a sub-species of C. laevigata[5]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[8].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

  8. 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

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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