Hackberry

Hackberry branch

Nyla Martin
used with permission

 

Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)

Hackberry gets its name from the Scottish word “Hagberry”, which means “bird cherry.” It produces dark purple berry-like fruit that serves as an excellent food source for birds and wildlife. Hackberry is a monoecious plant, which means it has both male and female flowers on the same plant. Small, greenish flowers bloom in April to May, and then the female flowers produce the fruit later in the summer and early fall. This native plant is also a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae.