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Most native plant specialists encourage adventurous newbies not to compare the taste of native fruits to the exotic ones at the grocery store, but to appreciate the native fruits for their own unique tastes. An exception to this is Celtis ehrenbergiana, known as “granjeno”, “spiny hackberry” or “desert hackberry” throughout its native range.
San Antonio area horticulturist and native plant author Patty Leslie-Pasztor compares the taste of Granjeno to cantaloupe during her ethnobotany walks. Indeed, one of the qualities that endears it to those who harvest its fruit is that it is so much easier to get cantaloupe taste by popping a few small Granjeno fruits as if they were mints, than to prepare a melon.
The mature height of Granjeno is taller than humans, although in thickets Granjeno may reach in any direction to get adequate sunlight. Its intermingling with native shrubs and small trees adds so much protection for small native wildlife.
The spines do not deter birds and humans from harvesting fruits as much as they can deter mammals from climbing the trunk. Jackrabbit and coyote are some of the animals that quickly devour any fruit that falls to the ground. The fruit is particularly attractive to birds in semi-arid regions, including cactus wrens and green jays. The spines make the plant an important component of thickets and understory where native birds seek shelter. Celtis ehrenbergiana is the larval host of Libytheana carinenta “American Snout” butterflies.
Native range of Celtis ehrenbergiana includes many Mexican states, from Chihuahua to Oaxaca; and California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas; and Florida (where it is listed as “endangered”).
This small tree is a member of the elm family and hackberry genus. The smooth gray bark which appeals to humans is matched with spiny branches which sometimes discourage the casual observer from getting near. The ability of Granjeno to thrive in dry conditions makes it valuable for controlling erosion.
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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: cywinski
