Celtis australis

Nettle-tree, Nettle-Tree

Family: Cannabaceae · Type: tree · Not Native

Nettle-tree is a naturalized tree found in southern California coastal areas and the Sacramento Valley in riparian woodland at elevations of 15 to 500 meters. Flowering in March, this tree produces inconspicuous flowers leading to dark purple-brown to black fruits 10 to 12 millimeters in diameter. Growing to 20 meters tall with a flexible structure, the tree develops a distinctive branching pattern. Its leaves are narrowly elliptic to lance-shaped, 7 to 11 centimeters long, with serrated margins and a smooth upper surface, while the underside is soft and hairy with raised major veins. The tree's elongated fruit-bearing stems range from 11 to 31 millimeters long, supporting its dark, glossy fruits.

Habitat: Riparian woodland

Bloom period: Mar

Elevation: 15-500 m

Bioregions: ScV, SCo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.