Summary ³

Celtis occidentalis, commonly known as the common hackberry, is a large deciduous tree native to North America. It is also known as the nettletree, sugarberry, beaverwood, northern hackberry, and American hackberry. It is a moderately long-lived hardwood with a light-colored wood, yellowish gray to light brown with yellow streaks.

Description ⁴

Family:
Cannabaceae (Hemp)

Height:
40 to 60 feet at maturity

Habit:
Single trunk; Round, spreading crown

Leaves:
Alternately attached heart-shaped or lance-shaped leaves with sharply pointed tip, up to 5 inches long and 3 inches wide. Often have large, warty galls on the surface.

Bark:
Brownish gray bark is furrowed and has distinct corky ridges. Some ridges may appear to have distinct vertical layers.

Flower:
Small green flowers (up to 0.25 inch across) with 4 or 5 sepals

Fruit:
A green, single-seeded berry-like fruit (drupe), turns dark purple when mature

Bloom time:
April-May

Fall color:
Yellow; Dried leaves and fruits often hang on late into the fall, with many of them persisting throughout the winter, especially on larger trees

Nicknames:
Common Hackberry, Northern Hackberry

Habitat:
Floodplain forests, hardwood forests

Wildlife Benefits:
Serves as a host plant for several species of butterflies. Fruit is a food source for some gamebirds and songbirds.

Notes:
Hackberry can grow in a variety of habitats and does well in urban landscapes. Prefers sun to part shade.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/tree/hackberry
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/hackberry.html

Range ⁴

Sources and Credits

1. (c) JanetandPhil, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/30979614@N07/4224163507
2. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
3. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtis_occidentalis
4. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Atlas of Living Australia
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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