朴科主要包括朴属，约60-70种落叶乔木，广泛分布在北半球暖温带地区，以及中非和南美洲部分地区。

朴科植物一般为10-25米高的乔木，稀有40米高，单叶互生，叶有3-15厘米长，有齿；花小，早春开花，雄花长，雌花圆；果实为直径6-10毫米的核果，类似枣，大部分种类可以食用。树皮可用来造纸。

1981年的克朗奎斯特分类法将朴属列入榆科，1998年根据基因亲缘关系分类的APG 分类法单独分出一个科，列入蔷薇目，2003年经过修订的APG II 分类法不承认这个科，将本属放到大麻科中。

Celtis, commonly known as hackberries or nettle trees, is a genus of about 60–70 species of deciduous trees widespread in warm temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, in southern Europe, southern and eastern Asia, and southern and central North America, south to central Africa, and northern and central South America. The genus is present in the fossil record at least since the Miocene of Europe, and Paleocene of North America and eastern Asia.