Celtis australis European hackberry

Celtis australis at 848 Pine Hill Road. Sairus Patel, 17 Sep 2019

Comparison of upper and lower leaf surfaces of (left to right) Celtis sinensis (teeth, when present, don’t extend to leaf stalk), C. australis (leaf undersides fuzzy), C. occidentalis (leaf widest in basal half). All leaves from campus specimens. Sairus Patel, 17 Sep 2019

The leaves have sharp saw-teeth, are rough on top, and furry underneath. The ¼-inch edible fruit are dark purple and hang on stalks over an inch long.

Five specimens can be seen on Pine Hill Road at the Bowdoin Street end and compared to C. occidentalis up the street. A large specimen planted in 1890 was near the west corner at Quarry Road and Campus Drive West, the location of the gardener’s shed at the time the Inner Quad was being leveled and planted. It may be the same tree that now finds itself next to the utility structures near an automatic gate in the parking lot west of the intersection.