Celtis australis

Celtis australis L.

European nettle tree

The European nettle tree, also known as the Mediterranean hackberry or lote tree, is a deciduous tree native to Southern Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor. It can grow up to 25 meters in height, though it is more common to find it at around 10 meters in cooler climates. The tree has smooth, grey bark and narrow, sharp-toothed leaves that are dark green throughout the year, turning pale yellow before falling in autumn. The small, green flowers are wind-pollinated and apetalous. The fruit is a dark-purple berry-like drupe, popular among birds and other wildlife.

Details

Order:

Rosales

Family:

Cannabaceae

Genus:

Celtis

Chemistry:

The leaves of Celtis australis are rich in flavonoid C-glycosides. Young leaves, particularly from Northern Italy, contain high amounts of phenolics, which decrease rapidly until mid-May and then fluctuate. The tree also contains caffeic acid derivatives and flavonoids, which are more abundant in the early growing season.

Uses:

The fruit of this tree is edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves and fruit are used in traditional medicine for treating amenorrhoea, heavy menstrual bleeding, inter-menstrual bleeding, and colic. Decoctions of leaves and fruit are used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, peptic ulcers, and to astringe mucous membranes. The wood is tough, pliable, durable, and used by turners for various purposes. Thin shoots are used as walking sticks.

Flowering time:

Spring

Sowing time:

Plant height:

25 meters (up to), but commonly 10 meters in cooler climates

Flower color:

Green

Suitable habitat:

Light, well-drained (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, including nutritionally poor ones. It can tolerate drought but not shade.

Info

Pannon Flora Ltd. was founded on December 13, 1999, by Gábor Janik, who retains 95% ownership. Janik holds an MSc in Horticulture from the University of Horticultural Sciences (1986) and an Advanced Professional English Certification from the College of International Trade (1990). The company specializes in bird feed production and export, primarily serving markets in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK, alongside cultivating and distributing imported/exported horticultural seeds. It maintains exclusive partnerships with JOEUN Seed (South Korea) and Takii Europe (Japan), a leader in professional seed breeding and production. Pannon Flora collaborates with certification bodies such as NÉBIH (National Food Chain Safety Office), MERT Kontroll, and SGS Hungary to ensure compliance and quality. The company works with approximately 400 Hungarian growers, ranging from small-scale producers (under 5 hectares) to mid-sized farms and large-scale agricultural enterprises. This profile emphasizes agribusiness expertise, technical partnerships, and operational scalability tailored to international client needs.

Tenders

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