I recently visited with a gentleman that had grown oak trees from acorns and was looking to grow hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) from seeds, but had not found a tree with fruits.
Hackberry is a medium to tall tree that grows to between 40-60 feet. It ranges roughly east of a line from North Dakota south to Oklahoma. In North Dakota it has been documented in most counties in the eastern half of the state and would probably be listed as occasional.
Like many other trees, the flowers of hackberry are wind pollinated, so they are small and drab colored thus seldom noticed. Fruit production may vary considerably from year to year. The fruits are around a quarter of an inch in diameter, reddish-brown or purple to black, with a thin sweet pulp and hard stone. Think of it as a cherry or chokecherry.
The leaves of hackberry are alternate, simple, and around 2-5 inches long and 1-3 inches wide with toothed margins. They are widest near the base (which is uneven) and taper to a sharp tip. The bark of hackberry is quite distinctive. It is light brown or silvery gray and has been described as being thick and deeply furrowed with warty corky projections in older trees.
Hackberry is considered to be an excellent tree for wildlife habitat. It is known to be a good tree for bees, butterflies, and moths. And as one might expect, the fruits are eaten by a wide variety of birds (e.g., robins, cedar waxwings, wild turkey) and small mammals (e.g., rodents, fox squirrels, rabbits, raccoons). And browsing by white-tailed deer may be heavy.
Although hackberry does well on a wide range of soils, it does best on moist well-drained soils. It is also moderately drought tolerant. It has been described as a good substitute for American elm in the Midwest. As such, it is may be a good choice for use in landscaping, parks, windbreaks, boulevards, and other areas. And it is interesting to note that one cultivated variety, “Oahe Hackberry” was released by the USDA Great Plains Research Station in Mandan and the USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center in Bismarck.
So, consider becoming a little more familiar with this interesting, but perhaps not well-known, North Dakota native. Maybe you can even find a place to plant one.
