TreeRM

Common hackberry

Celtis occidentalis 路 Cannabaceae 路 also Hackberry, Northern hackberry

An elm-like tree with a broad arching crown and gray bark covered in distinctive corky warts and ridges. The rough leaves turn plain yellow in fall and small sweet purple berries hang on through winter for birds. It shrugs off drought, flooding, wind, salt and pollution, is immune to Dutch elm disease, and is one of the toughest shade trees for streets and parking lots; the wood is soft and ice can break limbs.

Broadleaf, drops leavesFast growingSun or part shadeLow water
Common hackberry
Chhe (talk), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Where it stands

Native

  • 馃嚚馃嚘 Canada 路 Native to southern Ontario, Quebec and a pocket in Manitoba.source
  • 馃嚭馃嚫 United States 路 Native across the Midwest and eastern US from the Dakotas and Oklahoma to New England and North Carolina (more than 15 states).source

Recommended

  • 馃嚚馃嚘 Toronto, ON, Canada 路 On Toronto's list of species planted on streets (native to Ontario).source
  • 馃嚭馃嚫 Portland, OR, United States 路 On Portland's approved list for 6.0 to 8.4 ft planting strips without high-voltage lines.source
  • 馃嚭馃嚫 Seattle, WA, United States 路 Offered as a street tree (8 ft+ planting strip) in Seattle's Trees for Neighborhoods 2026 program.source

Care

Easy to transplant into almost any soil in full sun. Water for the first season, then little is needed. Prune when dormant. Nipple galls and witches' broom are common but cosmetic; woolly aphids can drip honeydew.

Benefits

ShadeFast canopyDrought tolerantFlood tolerantSalt tolerantWildlifeBirdsPollinatorsEdibleLong lived

Good for

Street treeYard shadeparksWindbreak

Watch out for

Weak woodMessy fruit