Celtis tenuifolia aka Georgia Hackberry

Celtis tenuifolia, also known as the dwarf hackberry or Georgia hackberry, is a deciduous shrub or small tree that can grow up to 12 meters high. It is native to eastern North America but is rare north of the Ohio River and is designated as threatened and protected under Canada's Species at Risk Act. The leaves are alternate, simple, shallowly toothed, and finely hairy, and the winter buds are brown and hairy, only 1 to 2 millimeters long. The tree produces small, stalked, light green flowers in the spring, which are wind-pollinated and self-compatible. The fruit is a berry-like drupe that matures to an orange-red to dark purple color and is edible with a sweet taste. The mesocarp is composed of a smooth outer crust and a pulpy yellow inside. Dwarf Hackberry is hardy to zone 6 and prefers well-drained soil, but can grow in nutritionally poor soil and can tolerate drought. It has a low flammability rating and is suitable for light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils with a pH range of acid, neutral, and basic (alkaline).