The Common Hackberry Tree,
a Gem Hidden in Plain Sight
Hackberry blossoms
The Common Hackberry, or Celtis occidentalis, is a tree often seen as being “trashy” with its odd looking bark, leaves that are often covered in galls and don’t produce much of a spectacle in the fall, and aphids that create a sooty mold on the surfaces below. What many don’t realize is that these trees are highly beneficial for our wildlife, providing a food source beginning in the fall and throughout winter, in times when other food sources may be scarce. What is often thought to be a trash tree, is an important and biodiverse ecosystem in of itself.
In fact, these “trash trees” are hosts to over 40 species of lepidoptera, or moths and butterflies, including the hackberry emperor butterfly. In addition to the many lepidoptera species, these trees provide important shelter and food for birds, and other critters. As birds prepare to either brave a cold winter, or fly south to warmer temperatures, hackberry trees provide a crucial source of nutrients for all, with lots of protein, fats, carbohydrates, calcium, magnesium, and other vitamins in the drupes of fruit they produce. Further, the galls which adorn the leaves of the hackberry through the summer, hatch in the fall, providing birds and other insect-eating critters with yet another food source.
The bark of the hackberry has distinctive ridges.
If the benefits to wildlife aren’t enough to convince you that this trash tree isn’t so bad after all, the hackberry is also great for humans too. It’s not just the birds, and other critters that get excited about eating hackberries, we can also eat the berries from these incredible trees. If you are lucky enough to get some before the local wildlife eat them up, these berries are great for creating hackberry milk or hackberry candy. While the berries are great for foraging, hackberry trees are also a great tree to use for increasing our tree canopy. Hackberry trees are widely adaptable to both urban and rural growing conditions, being relatively drought and pollution tolerant, and are able to grow in a wide range of soil environments and qualities. Because it grows so well in a range of environments, it is a great tree for a site that needs shade (relatively) quickly, or is in need of erosion control. The large and wide reaching branches create large swaths of shade, which will become increasingly important as we experience our Earth getting warmer. So, the next time you look at these trees and think they may look odd or are a bit messy, think about the advantages to our biodiversity, ecosystems, and ourselves that these great trees provide.
If you live in the Lower Olentangy Watershed, and are interested in planting one of these incredible trees, FLOW will have them at our Fall tree giveaways. For more information and to sign up, follow this link to our tree giveaway information page.
References:
https://foragerchef.com/hackberry/
https://emilyhan.com/how-to-make-hackberry-milk/
https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/broad-leaf-trees/hackberry-celtis-occidentalis
https://www.nashvilletreeconservationcorps.org/treenews/lets-talk-about-hackberries