Overview
Celtis is a spreading branched trees in the genus Celtis, part of the Cannabaceae family, with deciduous foliage. Celtis grows best in full sun, and tolerates most soils and any pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H6. Suggested uses include wildlife gardens and low maintenance. It is native to Afghanistan, Alabama, Albania, Algeria, Andaman Is., Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Arizona, Arkansas, Aruba, Assam, Bahamas, Baleares, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bismarck Archipelago, Bolivia, Borneo, Botswana, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burundi, California, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Caroline Is., Cayman Is., Central African Republic, Chad, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Christmas I., Colombia, Colorado, Comoros, Congo, Connecticut, Cook Is., Corse, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Delaware, District of Columbia, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, East Aegean Is., East Himalaya, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Florida, France, Free State, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Guyana, Hainan, Haiti, Honduras, Idaho, Illinois, India, Indiana, Inner Mongolia, Iowa, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jawa, Kansas, Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Kenya, Kirgizstan, Korea, Kriti, Krym, KwaZulu-Natal, Laos, Lebanon-Syria, Leeward Is., Lesotho, Lesser Sunda Is., Liberia, Louisiana, Madagascar, Maine, Malawi, Malaya, Mali, Maluku, Manchuria, Manitoba, Marquesas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nansei-shoto, Nebraska, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, Nevada, New Caledonia, New Guinea, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New South Wales, New York, Nicaragua, Nicobar Is., Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Is., North Carolina, North Caucasus, North Dakota, Northern Provinces, Northern Territory, NW. Balkan Pen., Ogasawara-shoto, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Palestine, Panamá, Paraguay, Pennsylvania, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Is., Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qinghai, Queensland, Québec, Rhode I., Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, Santa Cruz Is., Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sicilia, Sierra Leone, Society Is., Solomon Is., Somalia, South Carolina, South Dakota, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan-South Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Suriname, Tadzhikistan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tennessee, Texas, Thailand, Tibet, Togo, Tonga, Transcaucasus, Trinidad-Tobago, Tuamotu, Tubuai Is., Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Uganda, Uruguay, Utah, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Vermont, Vietnam, Virginia, Wallis-Futuna Is., Washington, West Himalaya, West Virginia, Western Australia, Windward Is., Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
About
Celtis is a deciduous tree in the Cannabaceae, commonly called hackberry, with a spreading-branched habit. It flowers in April to May and suits a full-sun, sheltered position. Plant on well-drained loam, sand or chalk and favour south- or west-facing aspects.
About the genus
Celtis is a genus of about 60–70 species of deciduous trees, commonly known as hackberries or nettle trees, in the hemp family Cannabaceae. It has a cosmopolitan distribution.
Wikipedia contributors, "Celtis", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Celtis
In the garden
Celtis (hackberry) is a spreading-branched deciduous tree in the hemp family Cannabaceae, with members of the genus occurring across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. It flowers in April to May and is typically placed where its open, branched form can contribute structure to the planting. The tree is commonly used in gardens and larger green spaces where a medium to large deciduous specimen is required. Give Celtis a full-sun site with good drainage; suitable soils include loam, sand or chalk and it tolerates acid, neutral or alkaline conditions. A south- or west-facing, sheltered aspect is recommended to reduce exposure stress. In UK hardiness terms it is rated H6 (very hardy), so it withstands normal outdoor winters without special winter protection. Once established it generally needs little attention, which is why it is often selected for low-maintenance or wildlife-focused planting schemes. Celtis works well as a specimen or as part of a loose tree line where its spreading-branched habit can be accommodated. It is appropriate for wildlife gardens and other low-maintenance areas where seasonal structure and cover are useful. Allow room for its spreading-branched crown when siting close to drives or hedgelines.
Growing conditions
Best soil and position for Celtis
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Loam, Sand, Chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
Celtis size, habit and characteristics
- Plant type
- Trees
- Habit
- Spreading branched
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Suggested uses
- Wildlife gardens, Low Maintenance
- Native to
- Afghanistan, Alabama, Albania, Algeria, Andaman Is., Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Arizona, Arkansas, Aruba, Assam, Bahamas, Baleares, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bismarck Archipelago, Bolivia, Borneo, Botswana, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burundi, California, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Caroline Is., Cayman Is., Central African Republic, Chad, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Christmas I., Colombia, Colorado, Comoros, Congo, Connecticut, Cook Is., Corse, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Delaware, District of Columbia, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, East Aegean Is., East Himalaya, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Florida, France, Free State, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Guyana, Hainan, Haiti, Honduras, Idaho, Illinois, India, Indiana, Inner Mongolia, Iowa, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jawa, Kansas, Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Kenya, Kirgizstan, Korea, Kriti, Krym, KwaZulu-Natal, Laos, Lebanon-Syria, Leeward Is., Lesotho, Lesser Sunda Is., Liberia, Louisiana, Madagascar, Maine, Malawi, Malaya, Mali, Maluku, Manchuria, Manitoba, Marquesas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nansei-shoto, Nebraska, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, Nevada, New Caledonia, New Guinea, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New South Wales, New York, Nicaragua, Nicobar Is., Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Is., North Carolina, North Caucasus, North Dakota, Northern Provinces, Northern Territory, NW. Balkan Pen., Ogasawara-shoto, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Palestine, Panamá, Paraguay, Pennsylvania, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Is., Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qinghai, Queensland, Québec, Rhode I., Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, Santa Cruz Is., Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sicilia, Sierra Leone, Society Is., Solomon Is., Somalia, South Carolina, South Dakota, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan-South Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Suriname, Tadzhikistan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tennessee, Texas, Thailand, Tibet, Togo, Tonga, Transcaucasus, Trinidad-Tobago, Tuamotu, Tubuai Is., Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Uganda, Uruguay, Utah, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Vermont, Vietnam, Virginia, Wallis-Futuna Is., Washington, West Himalaya, West Virginia, Western Australia, Windward Is., Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Care notes
Pruning and caring for Celtis
- Propagation
- Seed in autumn
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to plant Celtis?
Celtis prefers full sun. It suits sheltered positions.
What soil does Celtis need?
Celtis is adaptable and grows happily in most soil types, including loam, sand and chalk. It is happy in soil of any pH. Aim for soil that stays well-drained.
Is Celtis hardy in the UK?
Celtis has an RHS hardiness rating of H6, meaning it is very hardy, tolerating -20 to -15°C across most of the UK.
How do I propagate Celtis?
Seed in autumn.
