Celtis occidentalis Europe - Common Bonsai,Shade Tree - Common Hackberry Page

Celtis occidentalis, commonly known as the Common hackberry, is a large deciduous tree native to North America. It is also known as the nettletree, beaverwood, northern hackberry, and American hackberry. It is a moderately long-lived hardwood with a light-colored wood, yellowish gray to light brown with yellow streaks. Usually the common hackberry forms a medium-sized tree, thirty to fifty feet in height, with a slender trunk. However, it can rise to the height of one hundred and thirty feet in the best conditions in the southern Mississippi valley area. Ridjica and Sombor in Serbia (where it is called kustelic or galagunja) and Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, are known for the extensive use of hackberry as a street tree. The fruit and seed can be ground up finely together and used as a flavoring. The leaves of seedlings often have a lot of white patches without chlorophyll, this is normal and older plants produce normal green leaves. The tree prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. It cannot grow in the shade. The tree requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. It can tolerate strong winds but not maritime exposure. The tree is hardy to zone 2. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in October. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by bees. The plant can be used for various purposes, such as making jellies and preserves from its fruit, using its wood for cheap furniture, veneer, and fencing, and using its extract for treating jaundice. The plant is fast-growing, can live up to 1000 years, and is resistant to honey fungus. It propagates through seed and can be easily transplanted. The tree is suitable for fuelwood and lumber production.