Celtis laevigata

Planted, Florida Botanical Garden © Shirley Denton

Turkey Creek Audubon Preserve © Shirley Denton

Hackberry, Sugarberry

Form:	Tree
Size:	60 to 80 ft tall by 30 to 50 ft wide
Life Span:	Long-lived perennial
Flower Color:	Yellow,NA
Fruit Color:	Brown
Phenology:	Deciduous
Noted for:	Interesting bark, Interesting foliage

Recommended Uses:

Rarely used but suited to informal areas. Tolerant of root disturbance, so appropriate to parking lots and street tree uses.

Considerations:

Somewhat weak. Shallow root system limits plants growing under it.

Propagation:

Seed.

Availability:

Native nurseries, Seed

Light:

Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

always floodedextremely dry

(Stays Wet ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry)

Moisture Tolerance:

Stays Wet ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.

Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray would be uncommon (major storms).

Soil or other substrate:

Clay, Loam, Sand

Soil pH:

Calcareous (high pH)

Wildlife:

Fruits are eaten by a number of birds and small mammals. Provides cover.

Insects:

Larval host for hackberry emperor (Asterocampa celtis), and mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) butterflies. Sole larval host plant for American snout (Libytheana carineta) in South Florida; also larval host for tawny emperor (Asterocampa clyton), question mark (Polygonia interrogationis) butterflies.
Wind pollinated.

Native Habitats:

River floodplains, ruderal

Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 8A 8B 9A 9B

USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures

General Comments:

Interesting, warty bark on some specimens.