Cannabaceae (Hemp) is a small family of flowering plants. The family, includes about 170 species, grouped in about 11 genera, including Cannabis, Humulus and Celtis. Celtis is the largest genus of the family, containing about 100 species.

Celtis australis is a tree belonging Cannabaceae family and Celtis genus. It is a deciduous tree, native to Mediterranean basin, Western Asia, Caucasus, Himalayas and east to Nepal (Albania, Algeria, Bosna-Hersek, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Iran, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Syria, Spain, Tunisia, Türkiye). In southern Europe, they are found up to 2500 m above sea level. Today it has been introduced into many countries included Argentina, Austria, Canary Islands, Germany, Hungary, Madeira Island, Switzerland, Uzbekistan.

Mediterranean Hackberry is a deciduous tree can grow up to 25 m tall by 15 m wide.  Tree has a wide, broad, rounded canopy, making it a good shade tree. Beech-like trunk has smooth and grey bark. 5–15 cm long, dark grey-green, lanceolate, alternate leaves are sharp-toothed, rugose above and tomentose below. The colour of leaves, fading to pale yellow before falling in autumn. New young shoots appear from March to April. Flowering start in March, hermaphrodite flowers are inconspicuous and not showy. Fruits are tiny, round, fleshy, first green then purple, hang in short clusters. Seed bearing starts at the age of 15 years old or more.

Celtis australis prefers full sun on moist, deep soils but will tolerate poorer soil conditions very well with slower growth. It can tolerate drought and is able to tolerate cold temperatures when dormant, withstand at least -15°C. Propagation is done by seed, layering, and cuttings. Trees can be very long-lived. The trees on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem are said to be the oldest in the world. One tree in the Provence region of southern France is more than 450 years old, was 18 m in height with a circumference of 5 m at 2013.

Mediterranean Hackberry has a reputation for internal trunk rot, particularly following mechanical injury to the trunk. The tree has good coppicing ability and pollards well. The coppiced shoots grow fast. The fruit of the tree is sweet and edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. The fruits are used as remedies for amenorrhea, colic, heavy menstrual and intermenstrual bleeding. A yellow dye is obtained from the bark. The flexible thin shoots are used as walking sticks. The timber quality of the tree is excellent. It is used in making tools, cups, spoons, sports goods, oars, canoes and agricultural implements.

Use in Landscape: Celtis australis is an ornamental tree because of its dome-shaped crown. The tree is often planted as an ornamental as it is long-living and resistant to air pollution. The tree is a great choice to create shade or as a long living street tree for public parks or streets. It also is a good choice for afforestation in difficult terrains against erosion.