FNPS Plant Database

Celtis laevigata

hackberry, sugarberry

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

Nomenclature

Common Name:

hackberry, sugarberry

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Celtis laevigata

Family:

Celtidaceae

Plant Specifics

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. Inconspicuous blooms in early spring. Fruits ripe in fall. Lifespan up to 150 yrs (Nelson)

Noted For:

Interesting Foliage, Interesting Bark

Landscaping

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.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

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

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam

Soil pH:

Neutral to calcareous.

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Caterpillars, Birds, Mammals

Larval host for hac kb erry 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.

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

Native Habitats:

River floodplains, ruderal

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Interesting, warty bark on some specimens.

Citations:

Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H.; [Technical coordinators] 1990. Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654 ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). 



Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell.  1999.  Native Florida Plants.  Gulf Publishing Company.  Houston, TX.



Huegel, Craig, N.  2010.  Native plant landscaping for Florida wildlife.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL. (wildlife uses)



Institute for Regional Conservation (IRC).  Accessed 2021.  https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Caryaqua. (salt tolerance).



https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/430/430-031/430-031_pdf.pdf (salt spray tolerance, winter road maintenance data)



Minno, Marc and Maria Minno.  1999.  Florida butterfly gardening.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville.



Nelson, Gil.  2003.  Florida's Best Landscape Plants. Association of Florida Native Nurseries.



University of Tennessee Extension Service.  Desired Ph Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants.    https://extension.tennessee.edu/mtnpi/Documents/handouts/Fertility/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf   accessed 2021.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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