Post by Lesli on Sept 28, 2011 22:43:32 GMT -5
This is the brush we have. My Dad told me years ago it was Grand Hammy or something like that. When I ask him to say it more clearly while I was watching he said, well, I am not sure about it, don't know how its spelled or what it actually is called. So I have been searching for years, literally years online and FINALLY found it! Dad was actually pretty close! 
aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/celtispallid.htm
Desert Hackberry, Spiny Hackberry, Granjeno, Granjeno Huasteco, Chaparral, Capul, Garabata
Celtis pallida
Ulmaceae
Desert hackberry is an extremely drought tolerant, spiny, sprawling shrub native to South Texas and the Chihuahuan desert. Its stout thorns, dense branches, and sweet, edible, small orange berries in the fall make it extremely valuable for wildlife food and cover. It is also useful for erosion control, and because of its dense habit it could be useful as a screen, background or informal hedge. The small, inch-long, oval leaves are evergreen to 20 degrees F, and its smooth, gray branches grow in a zigzag pattern. Desert hackberry grows best in full sun and can tolerate varied soils, as long as they are well-drained. Cactus wrens, green jays, coyotes, jackrabbits and many other birds and mammals love the tasty fruit, and white-tailed deer browse the stems and foliage. It is a host to butterfly larvae and is good honey plant as well.
Plant Habit or Use: medium shrub
Exposure: sun
partial sun
Flower Color: greenish yellow
Blooming Period: spring
Fruit Characteristics: one-seeded yellow or orange drupe
Height: 8 to 15 feet
Width: 10 to 18 feet
Plant Character: deciduous
Heat Tolerance: very high
Water Requirements:
Soil Requirements: adaptable
USDA Hardiness Zone: 7
Additional Comments:
Yeah, notice it says good honey plant. We noticed the bees love it, and it bloomed through the drought and is actually blooming again right now and has the berries on it. The cows are eating it and if it is related to Hackberry now I understand why it is so nutritious and why the goats love it so much. I know kind of boring, but it feels like a triumph to me just to find out what it really is called. I was beginning to wonder if it was a fictional brush that I was imagining. It is thick on our place. It literally could be sheared and shaped as a nice shrub in ones yard. I may look into transplanting... Thanks for letting me rejoice at answering my silly quest! Just had to tell someone!!
Lesli
