Hackberry

Hackberry    (Sugarberry, Nettletree)    Celtis occidentalis L.

Mature Size: Commonly 40 to 60 feet in height but may reach 140 feet in height, 1 to 2 feet in diameter

Form: Rounded, spreading crown; may have numerous bushy growths on branches (“witches’ brooms”).  Bark is gray and generally smooth, with characteristic corky warts and ridges.

Where to Find Them: Mainly bottomlands and stream sides.

Leaves: Alternate, simple, 2 to 5 inches long, oval with curved, pointed tip and uneven base; three major veins originating at leaf base; small rounded or pointed bumps (galls) caused by an insect are often present on the leaves.

Fruit and Seeds: Round, thin-fleshed, dry but edible fruit, 1⁄4 to 3⁄8 inch across, turning orange-red to dark purple in fall when ripe; often remaining on the tree over winter

Wildlife use:  The sweet fruits (drupes) are eaten by many birds, including bobwhite, robin, wild turkey, and winter visitors to the Refuge like cedar waxwing and yellow-bellied sapsucker.

Bark:  Gray and generally smooth, with characteristic corky warts and ridges