Small Hackberry (Celtis tenuifolia)

Family: Ulmaceae | Edibility: Edible (2/5)

Celtis tenuifolia is a deciduous Tree growing to 4.5 m (14ft 9in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen in October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Fruit, Berries

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Sweet but thin fleshed. — Sweet but thin fleshed.; The thin flesh has a sweet, mealy pleasant taste.; The fruit is small, up to 10mm in diameter, with a single large seed.; 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.

Habitat & North American Range

Dry rocky or gravelly soils in foothills and bluffs. On slopes and along streams in open woods from sea level to 500 metres. (Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9)