| General Description | C. tenuifolia is a deciduous small tree or shrub that contains many branches, with dark green-grey leaves and pale grey, ridged bark. It produces small orange-brown drupes that resemble berries, maturing in the late summer and early fall. The fruit is edible, and primarily enjoyed by mammals and birds. |
| ID Characteristic | C. tenuifolia greatly resembles its relative Celtis occidentalis. Despite this, it is distinguishable through a few key differences.
It has globose, orange-brown drupes that resemble berries and are present in the summer and autumn seasons, and dark green-grey leaves that differ from the leaves of C. occidentalis due to their more symmetrical base and smaller, broader size. The bark of this plant
is rided and cork-like in appearance once it reaches its mature stages, and has a generally smaller size compared to C. occidentalis. |
| Propagation | C. tenuifolia can be propagated through seed stratification and stem cuttings, however, little information regarding best practices for propagation through stem cuttings is available. It is recommended that for stored seeds, two to three months of cold stratification is ideal, to then be sowed in a greenhouse between the months of February and March. Minimal research has been done regarding the most effective methods of propagation for both C. tenuifolia and C. occidentalis
through stem cuttings. |
| Cultivation | This plant can be grown in both full sun and partial shade. It is partial to moist soils but is drought-tolerant, and does well in sandy or gravelly soils, with a preference for alkaline soils. |
| Pests | There are few pests that pose a risk to C. tenuifolia. Beetle infestations are a potential problem; bark beetles, snails, deer, as well as invasive and allelopathic plants pose risk. |
| Notable Specimens | C. tenuifolia is notably found at The University of Guelph Arboretum, located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. |
| Habitat | C. tenuifolia typically prefer open habitats, and often persisting as sites close in and succeed into dry-mesic southern forest. It also describes old fields and former orchards as potential habits.
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| Bark/Stem Description | The bark is most commonly a pale grey. Young bark is smooth, but develops small knobs and/or small fissures with age which appear cork-like and ridged. As the tree matures, it increases in rigidity. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | C. tenuifolia has no true terminal bud, with the end bud originating as a lateral bud, often bent. The buds are described as ovoid, flattened, and pointed, present in two rows along the twig, with five or more scales. The leaf scars are raised and semi-oval, containing three vein scars. |
| Leaf Description | Leaves are smaller and broader than C. occidentalis, with a more symmetrical base. The leaves are alternate along the branches, with two along the branches; something that is common in the Celtis species. The margins are entire to toothed mostly above the middle, and the blades are ovate with a short tapered tip. The colouring of the upper leaf of C. tenuifolia is a dark green-grey and rough, often described
as leathery, with the under leaf being a lighter grey-green and finely pubescent. |
| Flower Description | C. tenuifolia contains berry-like drupes which are smaller than
those of C. occidentalis, at a width of 5-9 mm. They have a thin flesh which covers a pitted stone, with a taste that is described as very sweet and sugary, with the flavour of dates. The fruit matures in the late summer and continues into early autumn, developing into an orange-brown colouring that distinguishes it from C. occidentalis further, which matures to a deep purple colour. |
| Colour Description | The bark of C. tenuifolia is coloured pale grey, with leaves ranging from a dark green-grey on the upper side of the leaf, and a lighter green-grey on the lower side of the leaf. As the drupes mature in the fall, they are an orange-brown. |
| Texture Description | The texture of the bark is distinctive as it ages, starting out relatively smooth and maturing into a corky, ridged texture. The leaves of C. tenuifolia are often described as leathery, with a rough upper side. The drupes remain smooth-skinned when mature. |