Celtis jessoensis

Celtis jessoensis is a deciduous tree in the Cannabaceae family. Its native range covers Korea and Japan in temperate Asia. Japanese records include Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. It grows to about 49 feet [15 metres] tall. It sheds its leaves each year and suits a woodland garden canopy. Plants For A Future notes that trees may live for 1,000 years.

The tree flowers in April, and its seeds ripen in October. Its flowers have both male and female organs. Bees pollinate them. The fruit is edible raw, though the source gives little detail. It suggests that sweet flesh surrounds a large seed. That flesh may be thin, dry, and mealy. Plants For A Future gives its food value two out of five. It lists no known hazards, but this is not a full safety assessment.

Choose a sunny site, since this tree does not grow in shade. It grows in sandy or loamy ground, including poor soil. Fertile loam with good drainage is its preferred soil. It also grows on dry gravel and sand. Mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soils all suit it. The ground can be dry or moist. Once established, the tree withstands drought well. This gives gardeners some choice over soil and watering conditions.

Plants For A Future lists USDA hardiness zones 5–9. Yet summer warmth matters as well as winter cold. The tree needs more heat and sun than Britain often provides. Cool summers can leave its wood short of full ripeness. Winter dieback may then follow. A warm site therefore matters in cooler gardens. The source lists no known medicinal uses or other practical uses. Its stated garden role is as a canopy tree in woodland planting.

Seed offers a way to raise new plants. Sow fresh seed in a cold frame once ripe. Stored seed benefits from two to three months of cold treatment. Then sow it in a greenhouse in February or March. Stored seed may take a year or longer to sprout. Seed can remain in storage for up to five years. Young seedlings may show white patches on their leaves. The source describes this as normal; older plants develop green leaves. Keep seedlings in a cold frame through their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer afterward.