Celtis reticulata

It's a shame that Celtis reticulata is not used more in Albuquerque landscapes. The Netleaf Hackberry is one of the most striking plants in the winter landscape that I know of, and is native to the area, drought tolerant. It is so deep-rooted that it can be planted near walkways or roads and not lift the paving. It is of a size that fits well into public plantings, although a bit too large for the postage-stamp gardens that are common these days. I had debated whether to plant this tree in my own garden, but decided to to plant food bearing fruit trees instead. But if I were to decide that these edibles are too much work and have them removed, I would consider planting the Netleaf Hackberry instead.

When I was hiking in the Albuquerque foothills some years ago, I came across a stand of trees that were almost too short to be called trees. They were probably 8 or so feet tall, but with thick trunks and branches, more than 8 inches thick, that were so twisted and intertwined that they would make a contorted mulberry or a "Harry Lauder's Walking Stick" (Corylus avellana 'Contorta') proud. Of course they were Celtis reticulata. I stood in awe of these trees for a long time.

I suppose they can have a bit of a wild look to them.

That branch just keeps on going....

Of course, in the cultivated landscape, plants are irrigated and pruned up for traffic, and are not contorted and dramatic as those in the foothills, but they do retain some of that tendency.

 They do tend to branch low, and this is one thing that would make them less perfect for sidewalk plantings. This one (above) could use a better pruning job, and has less of the contorted aspect.

Although this is the best time of the year to appreciate the bark and branches of these trees, the form is still apparent even when fully leafed out.

 The bark has a kind of warty texture which is interesting. Probably not great to climb.

What these trees don't have, and may be part of what keeps them from being more popular, is the lack of color. There is no burst of colorful flowers. There are no colorful fruits (the dry berry being like a BB in size and shape, black and hidden in the leaves). There is no dramatic fall color. The trade-off is that instead of these brief moments of color, there is the year-round attractive structure. People seem not to appreciate that much.