Trees , to 30 m; trunks to 1 m diam., crowns broad, spreading. Bark light gray, smooth or covered with corky warts. Branches without thorns, often pendulous, young branches pubescent at first, then glabrous. Leaves: petiole 6-10 mm. Leaf blade typically elliptic-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, (4-)6-8(-15) × (2-)3-4 cm, thin and membranaceous to leathery, base broadly cuneate to rounded, margins entire or rarely with a few long teeth, apex sharply acute to acuminate; surfaces glabrous or nearly so, margins ciliate. Inflorescences: flowers solitary or few-flowered clusters at base of leaves. Drupes orange to brown or red when ripe, nearly orbicular, 5-8 mm diam., beakless; pedicel 6-15 mm. Stones 4.5-7 × 5-6 mm. 2 n = 20, 30, and 40. Flowering late spring-early fall (May-Oct). In rich bottomlands along streams, in flood plains, and on rocky slopes; 0-300 m; Ala., Ark., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kans., Ky., La., Md., Miss., Mo., N.C., Okla., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va.; n Mexico. The Houma used preparations from the bark of Celtis laevigata to treat sore throats and venereal disease (D. E. Moerman 1986).

Plant: Tree (mature specimens to 10 m) Leaves: leaves alternate, unequal at base, somewhat leathery, with prominent veins underneath, rough above Flowers: flowers small, unisexual. Notes: Bark warty.Stipules deciduous.Branches terate. References: Kearney & Peebles; Arizona Flora. McDougall; Seed plants of N. Arizona. Hickman, ed.; The Jepson Manual. ASU specimans.