Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis
A tough, adaptable native tree that thrives where other shade trees struggle, making it perfect for challenging sites and urban environments. This undemanding tree grows quickly into a graceful, vase-shaped canopy that provides excellent filtered shade through its small, elm-like leaves. Wildlife enthusiasts love hackberry for its small berries that feed over 40 bird species throughout fall and winter.
Harvest
N/Ad
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Zones
3–9
USDA hardiness
Height
40-100 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Hackberry in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 shade-tree →Zone Map
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Hackberry · Zones 3–9
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
Complete Growing Guide
Light: Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight), Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours). Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow Rocky. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally Dry. Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 100 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 40 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 24-60 feet, more than 60 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: Medium. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Piedmont.
Harvesting
Female flowers give way to an often abundant fruit crop of round fleshy berry-like drupes maturing to deep purple. Each drupe has one round brown seed within. Birds consume the fruits and disperse the seeds. The globular fruit is borne singly on stems 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long. It ripens in September, but often remains on the tree through the winter.
Color: Orange, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy. Type: Berry, Drupe. Length: < 1 inch. Width: < 1 inch.
Garden value: Edible
Harvest time: Fall
Bloom time: Spring
Edibility: Fleshy parts of the fruit are edible and somewhat sweet. Can be eaten raw or used for making jellies and preserves.
History & Origin
Origin: Central & E. Canada to N. & E. U.S.A
Advantages
- +Disease resistance: Pollution, Poor Soil, Wet Soil, Wind
- +Attracts: Moderately deer resistant and immune to Dutch Elm disease.
- +Edible: Fleshy parts of the fruit are edible and somewhat sweet. Can be eaten raw or used for making jellies and preserves.
- +Fast-growing
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Wild Ginger
Thrives in shade conditions under hackberry canopy, provides natural groundcover
Redbud
Compatible understory tree that tolerates hackberry's filtered shade
Spicebush
Native shrub that benefits from hackberry's wind protection and partial shade
Coral Bells
Shade-tolerant perennial that complements hackberry's root zone without competition
Wild Columbine
Adapts well to dappled shade and benefits from hackberry's leaf litter mulch
Ferns
Thrive in the moist, shaded environment created by hackberry's canopy
Virginia Creeper
Provides additional wildlife habitat while tolerating hackberry's shade
Hosta
Shade-loving perennial that benefits from hackberry's consistent canopy cover
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone which is toxic to hackberry and inhibits its growth
Pine Trees
Acidifies soil significantly, creating inhospitable conditions for hackberry
Kentucky Bluegrass
Competes aggressively for surface water and nutrients that hackberry needs
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Very disease resistant
Common Pests
Hackberry nipple gall, witches broom, psyllids
Diseases
Generally disease-free, occasional witches broom