Celtis australis
L.
European Hackberry, Southern Nettle tree
(c) Felix Riegel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Eleftherios Katsillis, some rights reserved (CC BY)
(c) Eleftherios Katsillis, some rights reserved (CC BY)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Seeds, Oil
The fruit is eaten raw and has a mealy, pleasantly sweet flavour, though it is small and somewhat insipid and of limited value. Each fruit is about 10mm in diameter and contains a single large seed. The seed can be eaten raw or cooked, and an oil is also extracted from it.
Where to Find It
It grows in temperate places. It is native to S.W. Asia and S. Europe. It grows on warm, dry, rocky slopes. It can grow in arid soils. It does better in soils with lime. It can only tolerate light frosts. In the Indian Himalayas it grows between 1,300-1,500 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 8-11. Arboretum Tasmania.
Africa, Algeria, Andorra, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Croatia, Cyprus, Europe, France, Greece, Himalayas, India, Italy, Macedonia, Mediterranean*, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, North Africa, Northeastern India, NW India, Pakistan, San Marino, SE Asia, Sicily, Spain, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye,
How to Identify
A tree which grows 25 m tall. It loses its leaves during the year. The crown is rounded. The trunk is thick. The young branches are downy. The bark is smooth and grey. The leaves are oval or sword shaped. They are 15 cm long by 5 cm wide. They have a sharp point. There are teeth along the edge. The leaf stalk is short. The male and female flowers are small and greenish. They can occur singly or in small clusters in the axils of leaves. The fruit are small, round and berry-like. They are dark purple when ripe. They are 1 cm across. They are sweet and edible.
Nutrition Score: 9/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | — | — | — | 0.8 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 0.4 | — |
| Seeds | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How to Grow
Succeeds in any reasonably good soil, preferring a good fertile well-drained loamy soil. Succeeds on dry gravels and on sandy soils. The trees have deep spreading roots and are very drought resistant once established. This species requires mild winters if it is to succeed. 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. A hardier form, from seed collected in the Caucasus, is in cultivation in Britain. The fruit and the seed are sometimes sold in local markets in the Balkans. This plant is said to be the lotus fruit of the ancients. It is mentioned in the story of Odysseus returning from Troy and the story relates that if a person should eat the fruit they will never leave that area. Coppices well. A good shade tree. Trees can be very long-lived, perhaps to 1000 years. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.
Propagation: Sow seed as soon as ripe in a cold frame for best results. Stored seed should receive 2–3 months of cold stratification before sowing in February or March in a greenhouse. Germination is generally good, though stored seed may take 12 months or longer to germinate, and seed can be stored for up to 5 years. Prick seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Seedling leaves often show white patches lacking chlorophyll, which is normal; older plants produce fully green leaves. Grow seedlings in a cold frame through their first winter and plant out the following late spring or early summer, with protection from cold during their first winter outdoors. Can also be propagated by cuttings.
Medicinal Uses
The leaves and fruit are astringent, lenitive, and stomachic. Leaves are gathered in early summer and dried for later use. The fruit, particularly when not yet fully ripe, is considered medicinally more effective. A decoction of leaves and fruit combined is used to treat amenorrhoea, heavy menstrual and intermenstrual bleeding, and colic. The same decoction also astringes mucous membranes and is used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery, and peptic ulcers.
Other Uses
A yellow dye is obtained from the bark. A fatty oil is extracted from the seed, though no further details are given. The wood is very tough, pliable, and durable, widely used by turners and for the handles of agricultural implements. Flexible thin shoots are used as walking sticks. The wood makes an excellent fuel.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Celtis australis, the European nettle tree, European hackberry, Mediterranean hackberry, lote tree, southern nettle tree, or honeyberry, is a deciduous tree native to Southern Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor.
Other Information
The fruit are especially eaten by children. It is cultivated.
Notes
There are 70-100 Celtis species. They are mostly in the tropics. There are 8-10 species in tropical America. It can become invasive. Also put in the family Ulmaceae.
Names & Synonyms
Alatonero, Alatones, Almez, Anku, Batkar, Bremji, Brimij, Chilindronar, Citlik, Dardagan, Glinda, Hojaranzo, Honeyberry, Jaranzo, Kara çitlenbik, Kharik, Khark, Khirk, Khrikh, Konnarka, Koo, Koscela, Kostela, Kru, Ku, Limonero, Lote tree, Lotus berry, Mediterranean hackberry, Meyo, Palo blanco, Roku, Satsha, Stinkwood, Taagh, Teghzaz, Tagha, Tarawan, Thaghah
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