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Lytle, Melody

Celtis laevigata Willd.

Sugar hackberry, Hackberry, Sugarberry, Texas sugarberry, Palo blanco

Ulmaceae (Elm Family)

USDA Symbol: cela

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Tree with broad, rounded, open crown of spreading or slightly drooping branches. Sugar hackberry can grow 60-80 ft. in height and equally as wide with a broad crown and graceful, pendulous branches. Its smooth, pale bark is marked with lighter, corky patches. Deciduous leaves up to 4 inches long, blades ovate to narrower with a long, tapering tip, usually with smooth margins and an unequal base which is tapered on one side of the midrib and rounded on the other. Fruit spherical, 1/4 inch in diameter and usually dull red.

Frequently heavily parasitized by mistletoe.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Size Class: 72-100 ft. , 36-72 ft.
Leaf Shape: Lanceolate , Ovate
Leaf Apex: Acuminate
Fruit Type: Drupe
Leaf Color: Green
Fruit Color: Drupe orange-red to black with a solitary pale brown seed inside.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Green
Bloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr

Distribution

USA: AL , AZ , AR , CA , CO , FL , GA , ID , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MD , MS , MO , NV , NM , NC , OK , OR , SC , TN , TX , UT , VA , WA , WV , WY , DC
Native Distribution: S. MD through Coastal Plain and Piedmont to FL, w. to c. IL, n. MO, s.e. KS & TX
Native Habitat: Thickets, open woodlands, stream, river banks
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: High
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Various moist soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay, Clay Loam, Caliche type
Texas comments: Will not tolerate sites with standing water or a permanently high water table.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: It is sometimes used for street planting in the lower South (of the USA). It often comes up in vacant lots and in fencerows, common along streams and in bottomlands.
Use Wildlife: At least 10 species of birds including robins, mockingbirds, and other songbirds eat the sweetish fruits.
Use Other: Principal uses of the wood are for furniture, athletic goods, and plywood. It is used to a limited extent for flooring, crating, fuel, cooperage, and posts. The wood is yellowish, close-grained, soft, weak, weighing 49 pounds per cubit feet.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Attracts: Butterflies
Deer Resistant: Moderate

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Celtis laevigata is a larval host and/or nectar source for:
Hackberry Emperor
(Asterocampa celtis)

Larval Host
Learn more at BAMONA

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: Stratified seed sown in spring or untreated seed sown in fall. Can be rooted from juvenile wood and from root sprouts or suckers.
Seed Collection: Pick mature fruits in late summer until winter. Air-dry with pulp on or soak overnight and rub pulp off on screen. Store in sealed, refrigerated containers.
Seed Treatment: Stratify 60-90 days at 41 degrees.
Commercially Avail: yes
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PlantWise: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants

Celtis laevigata (Sugarberry) is a PlantWise native alternative for:

   Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
   Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore maple)
   Ulmus parvifolia (Chinese elm)
   Ulmus pumila (Siberian elm)

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Question: Hello, I am a chef from Buenos Aires Argentina visiting Austin, Texas and would like to learn about native, edible plants in the region. Please let me know if there are any native, edible plants and if they grow wild, I can harvest them myself, or if there is a place I can purchase them. thanks, salud!!
click here to view the full question and answer

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Pineywoods Native Plant Center - Nacogdoches, TX
Sibley Nature Center - Midland, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Patsy Glenn Refuge - Wimberley, TX
Stengl Biological Research Station - Smithville, TX
* Available Online from Wildflower Center Store

Bibliography

Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.
Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright
Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Native & Naturalized Woody Plants of Austin & the Hill Country (1981) Lynch, D.
* Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
* Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Trees of Central Texas (1984) Vines, Robert A.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Celtis laevigata in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Celtis laevigata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Celtis laevigata

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-04-24
Research By: NPC

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