Celtis occidentalis
Common Hackberry
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
Average mature size of 40-60' tall and wide. Growth rate of 12-24" per year. Can live 200 years or more.
Flower and Fruit Details
Flowers are small and not showy, April-May. Fruits are fleshy, rounded drupes, yellow to orange-red to dark purple, 0.33" diameter. Ripening in September and October, persistent for several weeks. Flavored like dates and relished by birds and wildlife, but the single seed inside is very hard.
Leaf and Bark Features
Yellow or yellow-green fall color. Bark on trunk and older limbs has narrow, corky projecting edges.
Culture and Care
Easily transplanted. Prefers rich, moist soils, but grows in dry, heavy or sandy, rocky soils. Withstands acid or alkaline conditions, moderately wet or very dry areas. Tolerates wind and full sun. Susceptible to leaf spots, witches' broom, powdery mildew, Gonoderma rot, hackberry nipple-gall, mourning-cloak butterfly and several scales. Immune to Dutch elm disease.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
Performs well under adverse conditions.