Common hackberry

Celtis occidentalis (Family: Cannabaceae)

Hackberry tree

common hackberry

The basics

Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis ) is a hardy, fast-growing, medium to large deciduous tree native to much of eastern and central North America, south to northeast Texas and Georgia. It thrives in a wide range of conditions and temperatures – from rich floodplains to dry, rocky hillsides – and can be found in virtually any setting across Kentucky. In Kentucky, its range overlaps that of the closely related sugar berry or southern hackberry, C. laevigata. Common hackberry leaves are simple, 2-4.5 inches in length, rough to the touch with an asymmetrical base and with toothed margins. The fruits are small (1/2”), purple, cherry-like berries. The common hackberry’s grey, warty bark is arguably its most distinctive feature. Given its resilience to drought, wind, and pollution, common hackberry is a reliable tree for both rural and city landscapes.

Did you know?

Hackberry is classified in the same plant family as hemp.
Common hackberry bark is famously warty and ridged, often compared to melting candle wax.
Hackberry wood is relatively soft and light-colored, with yellowish streaks, and has limited commercial value.
Common hackberry was used by indigenous peoples medicinally, in porridges and preserves, and as fuel.

common hackberry bark

The grey, warty bark of a common hackberry tree

hackberry berries

Small (1/2”), purple, cherry-like berries ripen in the fall

Wildlife

Hackberry’s dense canopy and branching structure offer nesting sites for many bird species, and the fruits are a winter staple for birds like cedar waxwings, robins, and woodpeckers, which are important for spreading seed.
Common hackberry is a host plant for several butterfly species, including the Hackberry Emperor and Mourning Cloak.

Uses

Common hackberry is valued in urban forestry for its fast growth, tolerance of poor soils, drought, and air pollution.
The extensive root system helps stabilize soil, making it useful for erosion control along streambanks.
Common hackberry is a great candidate for reforestation projects and windbreak applications, thanks to its adaptability and low maintenance needs.

common hackberry leaves

Leaves are 2 ½ to 4 inches long

common hackberry benefits

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Benefits

Over a 20-year period, a healthy common hackberry with a diameter of 20 inches will offset 584 car miles worth of CO₂, absorb enough stormwater to fill 1,680 bathtubs, and remove an amount of pollution from the air – in gaseous and particulate form – equivalent in weight to 87 smartphones! Learn more at: https://mytree.itreetools.org/

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