Netleaf hackberry

Celtis laevigata

Physical Characteristics

Celtis laevigata is a deciduous Tree growing to 5 m (16ft) by 5 m (16ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. 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), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Distribution

South-eastern N. America - Virginia to Illinois and Missouri, south to Florida and Texas.

Habitats

Woodland Garden Canopy;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit Edible Uses: Netleaf hackberry offers small, dryish but tasty drupes whose thin pulp can be eaten fresh and whose seeds, although challenging to extract, provide a nutritious meal for porridges or drinks. It is best seen as a high-effort, high-resilience wild food: not your first choice when cultivated foods are abundant, but a genuinely helpful component of a diversified wild diet, especially in autumn and winter when few other fruits remain on the landscape. Fruit - raw or cooked[61, 105, 257]. The flesh is thin, dry, and sweetish, covering a single large seed[149, 183]. The fruit, which is orange to brown or red when fully ripe, is 5 - 8mm in diameter[235, 270]. Edible Uses & Rating: The main edible parts are the drupes and the seeds within. As a fruit, netleaf hackberry scores modestly: flavor can be pleasant, but pulp is thin, and the pit dominates. As a seed crop, it is more promising, since the kernel inside the stone is edible and energy-dense, though laborious to extract. It is therefore a “high-value, high-effort” food. Relative to desert hackberry, netleaf hackberry fruits are less juicy and more seed-dominated, but because they can persist into winter, they extend the hackberry foraging season [2-3]. Taste, Processing & Kitchen Notes: Fresh fruits are 5–10 mm across and may be red, orange, purple, or bicolored as they ripen. They can be eaten directly from the tree, but most of what you bite is the hard pit with a thin, somewhat sweet and slightly date-like or raisin-like coating. The texture is mostly that of a hard kernel with a papery, adherent layer, so swallowing whole drupes can pose a minor risk of choking. The seeds themselves, once freed from the shells, have a mild, nutty, somewhat bland flavor with a soft, mealy texture. Traditional and modern processing often focuses on using entire fruits or cracked fruits to make beverages or gruels, where distinguishing shell from seed is less critical. Pounded fruits can be boiled and strained to yield a sweetish drink or thin porridge. Cracked pits can be boiled with water; seed fragments tend to float while shell pieces sink, allowing some separation before further cooking. The resulting seed meal can be eaten as a mush, added to other foods, or dried for storage [2-3]. Seasonality (Phenology): Leaves flush in spring, typically around the same time as many desert riparian trees. Flowers appear in spring (April to June), with fruit development through late spring and summer. Fruits ripen in autumn and often persist into early winter, gradually drying on the branches. This late persistence is one of the species’ key ecological and foraging traits: unlike many summer fruits, netleaf hackberry can still provide food after frosts and early winter storms [2-3]. Safety & Cautions (Food Use): The fruits and seeds of netleaf hackberry have a long history of use and are not generally considered toxic when eaten in normal foraging quantities. The main practical concerns are the hardness of the pits and the potential choking risk, especially for children. Care should be taken when cracking pits to avoid hand injuries or flying fragments. As with any wild harvest, avoid fruits with mold, significant insect damage, or contamination from pollutants, and be cautious about gathering along heavily trafficked roads or in chemically treated areas. Harvest & Processing Workflow: For fruits, harvesting is typically done by hand in autumn when drupes have fully colored red, orange, or purple and have begun to soften or dry slightly. Entire clusters can be stripped off into a basket. For fresh eating, fruits can be consumed on the spot, but bite carefully and spit out pits if you do not wish to swallow them. For beverages, pound the whole fruits into a coarse mash, simmer in water for several minutes, then strain to remove shells and skins; the resulting liquid can be consumed warm or cooled. For seed harvest, dried winter fruits are collected, soaked, and crushed to free stones from the skins. Pits are then cracked with a stone or hammer; the mixture of shell and kernel fragments can be boiled so that kernels float and shells sink, then skimmed and further processed into mush or mixed with other foods. Drying seed meal on trays or in low-temperature ovens allows for longer storage. Cultivar/Selection Notes: Unlike some larger Celtis species used in landscaping, netleaf hackberry is rarely subject to formal cultivar selection. Most trees in the landscape are seed-grown and reflect local genetic variation. There is potential for selection of individuals with larger fruits or slightly thicker pulp, but such selection has not been widely pursued. For restoration and ecological planting, local provenance seed is preferable. Look-Alikes & Confusion Risks: Netleaf hackberry can be confused with other small riparian trees such as young elms, some willows, or certain Prunus species at a glance. However, its combination of asymmetrical leaf base, rough sandpapery texture, prominent net venation, and small spherical drupes is distinctive once learned. Compared with desert hackberry, netleaf hackberry lacks spines and has larger, broader leaves and a more tree-like form. Full confidence in identification should be achieved before eating fruits, especially in regions where other shrub or tree drupes include mildly toxic species. Traditional / Indigenous Use Summary: Netleaf hackberry drupes and seeds were used by Indigenous peoples in parts of the Southwest as late-season and winter foods, particularly when fresh plant foods were scarce. Fruits could be eaten fresh, dried, or ground and cooked as part of composite dishes or gruels. Their persistence on the tree and the energy density of the seeds made them valuable as a fallback or supplement rather than a primary staple. The trees also played roles in riparian camp and travel routes, providing shade and structural wood for small implements and potentially contributing to the cultural landscapes along desert waterways.

Medicinal Uses

Miscellany VD A decoction of the bark has been used in the treatment of sore throats[257]. It has also been used, mixed with powdered shells, as a treatment for VD[257].

Known Hazards

The fruits and seeds of netleaf hackberry have a long history of use and are not generally considered toxic when eaten in normal foraging quantities. The main practical concerns are the hardness of the pits and the potential choking risk, especially for children. Care should be taken when cracking pits to avoid hand injuries or flying fragments. As with any wild harvest, avoid fruits with mold, significant insect damage, or contamination from pollutants, and be cautious about gathering along heavily trafficked roads or in chemically treated areas.