I remember years ago finding a hackberry near Buchanan, Virginia when
our team was conducting an i-Tree inventory; we were surveying for
street trees but we got distracted by a HUGE hackberry tree by a stream.
Since that encounter, I have admired this species. I further observed
hackberry trees while I was working for the City of Roanoke. I'd see vol-
unteer specimens across the park system and noted how they required
very little maintenance. We routinely cleaned up downed branches from
other species, but I do not recall having to do that for hackberry trees.
I remain impressed by the rounded vase shape, distinctive bark char-
acteristics, and site tolerances of this year's SMA Urban Tree of the
Year. Sure, the species may be afflicted by "ugly" nipple galls or more
serious witches' brooms, but chances are that hackberry will tolerate
the alkaline soils, disturbed soil profiles, and heat/drought condi-
tions that challenge so many other species. Most of the improved
hackberry cultivars are reported to resist the witches' brooms
and galls, while retaining those valuable urban site tolerances.
While I am no longer managing as many street trees, I have begun
developing the campus tree management program at Virginia
Tech. One of the first species I searched for in the inventory was
hackberry; we have several fine examples on campus, mostly in
naturalized areas, with a few standouts in more challenging, high-
traffic locations (see photo). As the campus expands and human
pressures compound, we will look to the often forgotten hack-
berry for its resilience in our search for sustainable canopy.
— Jamie King, University Arborist, Virginia Tech
Winter silhouette of mature hackberry on
Virginia Tech campus. Photo by Jamie King
Mature hackberry in Gering, Nebraska. Photo
38 CityTREES
