Chinese Nettle Tree Celtis sinensis

Chinese Hackberry is a rapidly growing, flowering, deciduous tree in the hemp family reaching 40 to 50 feet high and wide at maturity with a round, spreading crown. In its native Asia, it can be found on the lowland and hills of Japan and the roadsides and slopes of China. These trees thrive in hot summers and sunlight; lack of sun can cause the wood to not fully ripen making them subject to die-back in winter. Under optimum conditions, Chinese Hackberry are very long-lived. The tree suckers, but it primarily naturalizes by seed dispersal. It can be invasive in some environments and has been declared a noxious weed in parts of South Africa and Australia. It is not considered invasive in the United States. The species name is Greek for Chinese.

While it tolerates partial shade and poor soil, it prefers to be grown in full sun in moist, well-drained soil that is high in organic material.  It will self-seed easily, or you can propagate it through stem cuttings.  This tough plant tolerates drought, wind, urban conditions, dry, wet, and poor soils. Its tolerance of most conditions make it a good choice as a street tree, however, It should be placed in a position in order to avoid contact from mowing equipment and string trimmers.  Damage from repeated contact from equipment can cause injury to the tree trunk, which in turn can lead to internal trunk rot.  Its tendency to form surface roots should also be kept under consideration when planting.  The roots can raise sidewalks, so keep at least a 10' distance from streets or sidewalks.

A host plant for the larvae of the Hackberry Emperor (Asteropampa celtis) and Question mark (Polygonia interrogationis) butterflies.

Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:  The dried fruits falling to the ground can be a litter problem.

Caution should be used when planting this tree when overhead power lines are in the area.  

Witches’ broom (dwarfed, dense, contorted twig clusters at the branch ends) is common in some areas.

It has a susceptibility to breakage.  Pruning should be done on a regular basis during the trees early years in order to prevent the formation of weak branch crotches and multiple trunks that would be susceptible to breakage as the tree ages.