Chinese Hackberry, Portuguese Elm, Chinese nettle-tree
Celtis sinensis

Family: Cannabaceae

What it is like

A large tree which loses its leaves. It grows 18 m tall. It forks fairly low and the crown is broad and irregular. The bark is smooth and grey. The leaves are dark glossy green above and olive green underneath. They are one sided at the base and they taper to a tip. There are teeth along the edge. The fruit are yellow and turn orange then black.

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.

Where it is found

A tropical and subtropical plant. It is hardy and tolerant of poor conditions. In China it grows between 100-1,500 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 8-12. Mt Lofty Botanical Gardens. In XTBG Yunnan. It grows in Sichuan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Central Asia, China, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, SE Asia, Taiwan, Tajikistan

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten fresh. The leaves are boiled and eaten with oil and salt. The insect galls which form on the tree in China are eaten.

The fruit are eaten especially by children.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

It is long lived. In China it flowers in March to April and fruits September to October.

Its other names

Local names

Paengnamu, Plain tree, Pohon hakberi cina, Pohon hakberi jepang, Pushu

Synonyms

Celtis japonica Planch.; and several others