50 OCTOBER 2014 ARBOR AGE www.arborage.com
TREE OF THE MONTH
Trade Name: Prairie Sentinel Hackberry
Botanical Name: Celtis occidentalis 'JFS-
KSU1'
Family: Ulmaceae
Parentage: Discovered in rugged high plains
of western Kansas
Year of Introduction: 2010
Hardiness Zone*: 4 – 9
Height: 45 feet
Spread: 12 feet
Growth Rate: Medium, 30 feet tall in 15 years
Form: Tightly columnar
Bloom Period: April-May with emerging leaves
Flower: Small, solitary in axils of the leaves
Fruit: 1/2-inch long fruit, taste like dates, loved
by wildlife
Foliage: Long leaves, dull green and lighter
underneath
Spring Color: Mid green
Summer Foliage: Mid green
Autumn Foliage: Yellow
Winter Color: Interest in columnar form
Bark: Narrow corky ridges
Habitat: Found in the eastern half of North
America
Culture: Prefers rich, moist soil, tolerates most
pH levels, wind, dry, heat, cold, and generally
tough conditions
Pest Resistance: Susceptible to many
diseases that disfigure the leaves including
witches broom
Storm Resistance: Good
Salt Resistance: Good
Planting: Transplant small trees bare root
and larger trees B&B, suitable for use in CU-
Structural Soil
Pruning: Prune for form at planting and 3
years later
Propagating: Budding and grafting onto
species seedlings
Design Uses: Use in locations needing a
columnar tree for narrow city streets and the
toughest climates
Companions: Most groundcovers
Other Comments: Very tough tree for cities
and extreme weather locations
Available From: Select nurseries that carry
new introductions, may require some searching
* For information about the USDA Hardiness
Zone Map, visit: http://www.usna.usda.gov/
Hardzone/index.html
These are the personal observations of the
author, living in New England — Zone 6.
Leonard Phillips can be reached via e-mail at
lenphillips@on-line-seminars.com.
Prairie Sentinel Hackberry
BY LEONARD PHILLIPS, ASLA EMERITUS
ALL
PHOTOS
PROVIDED
BY
J.
FRANK
SCHMIDT
&
SON
CO.
