Desert Hackberry (Celtis pallida)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
Cultivation
Succeeds in any reasonably good soil, preferring a good fertile well-drained loamy soil. 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. Trees can be very long-lived, perhaps to 1000 years. A good bee plant. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots. The leaves of seedlings often have a lot of white patches without chlorophyll, this is normal and older plants produce normal green leaves. Grow the seedlings on in a cold frame for their first winter, and plant them out in the following late spring or early summer[K]. Give them some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors. Cuttings
Edible uses
Fruit - raw. A mealy pleasant acid taste. This means that they probably also ate the seed[K].
Material uses
The plants have an extensive root system and are sometimes planted for erosion control. Wood. Of little value, though it is sometimes used for fence posts and fuel.
Habitat
Gravelly and well-drained sandy soils in deserts and desert grasslands.
Native range
South-western N. America - Texas.