This fine native tree is an underestimated
contributor to many an urban forest. With a
wide native range from New England through
the Mid-Atlantic and west to Wyoming, hack-
berry grows in rocky, alkaline sites where
other trees may struggle. It weathers cold and
windy winters to USDA Hardiness Zone 2 and
sweats the hot summers of Zone 9; it seems
equally happy curbside in Toronto as it does
in a Washington, D.C. neighborhood park.
Hackberry's mature size varies correspondingly
with planting location, commonly growing to 40
to 60 feet (12 to 18 m), with exceptional spec-
imens approaching 100 feet (30 m). The most
handsome hackberry in New York City grows
along the Mosholu Parkway; it approaches
80 feet (24 m) in height, with remarkable
American elm-like branching structure.
Alongside measurable ecobenefits like cleaning
air and water, hackberry provides a home
and food to many native creatures. Songbirds
(and humans) snack on the ripe, small, ber-
ry-like drupes that are high in protein and
somewhat sweet. Hackberry leaves support
the life cycle of numerous gall-producing
insects; the resulting gall-ridden leaves are
more of an unsightly irritation than they are
detrimental to the tree's health. Perhaps this
informs where to plant hackberry: anywhere
folks are not looking too closely at the leaves.
There are a number of cultivars that claim
improved resistance to galls and witches'
brooms; others are selected for form and vigor.
The upright form of 'Prairie Sentinel' fits into
a spot that may be too skinny for a full-width
tree. The increased vigor of 'Magnifica' is
nice but comes with a reduced cold hardiness
owing to its mixed parentage from C. laevigata,
known through the South as sugarberry. For
me, planting out seedling grown hackberry is a
fine choice if that's what you have available.
— James Kaechele, New York
Tree Trust Development
Director, NYC Parks
Warty-corky bark of hackberry.
Photo by Michelle Sutton
36 CityTREES
