Dwarf hackberry (Celtis tenuifolia) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 9

Special Significance of the Species

There are no listings for this species in the Native American Ethnobotany Database, but there are 14 for Celtis occidentalis for a variety of medicinal purposes, as well as its use in various food preparations. No doubt the tasty fruit of this species was also consumed and possibly used for similar medical purposes. Dwarf hackberry was found to be the host to several beetles not previously recorded in Canada (Bright et al., 1994), as well as butterflies and other insects. Being extremely drought-tolerant, it performed well in cultivation under the extreme summer heat and drought of the past few summers. It is currently available only through native plant nurseries but has potential for wider use as a small landscape tree.

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