circumference at breast height of 5 m in 2013. In Islamic tradition, hackberry trees are considered holy and amulets made from their wood are employed to exorcise demons. The hackberry trees on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem are said to be the oldest in the world. The fruit and its effects are described in Tennyson's poem The Lotos-Eaters. Secondary metabolites The leaves of Celtis australis are a rich source of flavonoid C-glycosides. Young leaves of Celtis australis from Northern Italy were found to contain the highest amounts of phenolics per gram dry weight. Amounts rapidly decreased until mid-May and after this date the level of phenolics fluctuated but showed no discernible trend. This general trend of high amounts of phenolics in the early growing season and a fast decline affected both caffeic acid derivatives and flavonoids. References australis Flora of the Mediterranean Basin Trees of Mediterranean climate Trees of Africa Trees of Asia Trees of Europe Flora of North Africa Flora of Southwestern Europe Flora of Southeastern Europe Flora of Western Asia Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Plants described in 1753