Hackbury fruits and underside of leaves showing raised veins |
General: Netleaf Hackbury (Celtis reticulata) is a tall (to 20 m), deciduous tree of cool, moist canyons in the mountain west. The leathery leaves are 1-3 inches-long and 1-2 inches wide, alternate, triangular, 3-veined from base, and the leaf veins on the underside of the leaf are quite pronounced and hairy. Often, the branchlets zigzag at each leaf node. Flowers originate in leaf axils and are white, small, and inconspicuous (2-mm across). Edible fruits are purple-brown and about 8-mm in diameter when ripe.
Netleaf Hackbury is an uncommon component of vegetation communities in cool canyons in the lower mountains in the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) and Transition (Yellow Pine Forest) life zones.
Around Las Vegas, look for Netleaf Hackbury in the sandstone canyons of Red Rock Canyon NCA. These trees are more common south and east of Las Vegas across Arizona to Texas.
Family: Hackberry (Cannabaceae). Formerly Ulmaceae (Elm). |