Plants and People Project

Hackberry - Celtis occindentalis

The Dakotas used the hackberry berries as a flavoring for meat. Prairie Trees and Shrubs

Hackberry wood is used to make plywood, boxes and crates. PA DCNR

In the past, hackberry trees were valued as a shade tree & a windbreak.

Hackberries can be recognized by the small clusters of twig growth that sometimes occur on them. These clusters have been dubbed witches brooms.

"The bark of younger trees is gray to brown and smooth. Later, it is marked with narrow corky ridges and has knoblike or warty projections." What tree is it?

Check out the curious bark as pictured on the Virtual Tree Trail

The berries of the tree are a winter food for birds and other wildlife.
Animals also use the trees for shelter and nesting sites to raise their young.

The hackberry is the host plant for several butterflies:

American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)
Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)
Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton)
Empress Leila (Asterocampa leila)
Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

Angiosperm families off site

What tree is it? off site

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Identification and other facts / More facts / Further Facts

Hackberry