Name | Hackberry |
Family Species | Celtis occidentalis |
Wildlife Value | Good |
Average Height | 60' |
Origin | Native |
Shade Tolerance | Moderate |
Drought Tolerance | Fair |
Growth Rate | Rapid |
Fruit | Berry |
Special Characteristics | Member of Elm Family |
Seedling Size | 12" to 18" |
General Description
Common hackberry is a medium-size deciduous tree native to North America. It is a moderately long-lived hardwood with a light-colored wood, yellowish gray to light brown with yellow streaks.[2] The Common Hackberry is easily distinguished from elms and some other hackberries by its cork-like bark with wart-like protuberances. The leaves are distinctly asymmetrical and coarse-textured. It produces small berries that turn orange-red to dark purple in the Autumn, often staying on the trees for several months. Common Hackberry forms a medium sized tree, thirty to fifty feet in height, with a slender trunk; however, it can rise to the height of one hundred and thirty feet. In the middle states of its range it seldom attains a height of more than sixty feet, and has a handsome round-topped head and pendulous branches. It prefers rich moist soil, but will grow on gravelly or rocky hillsides. The roots are fibrous and it grows rapidly. The hackberry can regenerate by stump shoots and seed dispersion. In fact, because birds and small animals adore the hackberry fruit, the seed is widely dispersed.
Uses
The hackberry is often used in landscape planting as a substitute for elm, which is subject to Dutch elm disease. Used for fencing and cheap furniture.