Desert Hackberry [Celtis pallida]

This spiny shrub (also known as granjeno), grows commonly in the arid brush country of southwest and southern Texas, including the western half of the Plateaus and Canyonlands. Its nutrious fruit was eaten by prehistoric peoples and its wood was used to make bows and other implements.

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Desert hackberry fruit is bright orange, juicy, tart, and quite tasty if you don't mind the crunchy center. The fruit is small and fleshy and contains with a crunchy, calcareous stone (seed). Nutritionally, desert hackberry fruit contains more protein (20% crude protein), phosphorous, and calcium than most desert fruits. The bright orange fruit usually ripens in late summer and early fall and can be gathered much like berries by the basketful in good years.

The durable seeds have been found in many archeological sites in the Plateaus and Canyonlands, particularly in the drier western part of the region. In fact, desert hackberry seeds are one of the few plant parts tough enough to be preserved in open campsites without being charred. Historic accounts attest to the eating of fresh desert hackberry fruits by Indian groups such as the Seri, Pima, and Apache n northern Mexico and Arizona.

Desert hackberry wood is hard, flexible, and was used to make various implements. The Seri made cradleboards from the wood and often made bows out of the strong, flexible wood.

Printed Sources:

Felger, R.S., and Mary B. Moser. People of the Desert and Sea. University of Arizona Press. Tucson.

Everitt, J.H. and D. L. Drawe. Trees, Shrubs, and Cacti of South Texas. Texas Tech University Press. Lubbock.

Pennington, C. 1980. The Pima Bajo of Central Sonora, Mexico. Vol. I. University of Utah Press. Salt Lake City.

Everitt J.H. and M.A. Alaniz. 1981. Nutrient Content of Cactus and Woody Plant Fruits Eaten by Wildlife in South Texas. Southwestern Naturalist 26:301-305.

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photo of desert hackberries on a bush
Desert hackberry is a spiny shrub that grows commonly in the arid brush country of southwest and southern Texas. Its nutrious fruit was eaten by prehistoric peoples and its wood was used to make bows and other implements.
close photo of desert hackberries
Desert hackberry fruit is juicy, tart, and quite tasty if you don't mind the crunchy center. It ripens in late summer and early fall and can be picked much like berries and gathered by the basketful in good years.