Hemp family, Cannabaceae
Origin: Southern Europe, Northern Africa, Asia Minor
Habitat in the original area: sparse floodplain forests, rocky slopes up to the height of 1,200 metres above sea level
Habitus: A deciduous tree with the maximum height of 25 metres. The branches are long, so the crown has a spherical shape spread out widely. The bark is smooth and greyish.
Leaf: The edges of the leaves, except for the base, are sharply double-serrated and at the top they are extended into a long tip. The upper side is rough and the lower side is covered with fine trichomes. The entire leaf is significantly asymmetrical.
Bloom, fruit: It blooms with inconspicuous green-yellow blossoms from April to May. The fruits are drupes, which are almost black when ripe. They grow on long stalks, have a pit on the surface and their pericarp is edible, its taste is sweet.
Interesting fact: The wood is strong and flexible, which is why it is used to make rods and whips. In the Tertiary period it grew also in our forests, but the Ice Age pushed it south.
