Celtis occidentalis Linnaeus. Common name: Northern Hackberry. Phenology: Mar-May; Aug-Oct. Habitat: Xeric to mesic glades, outcrops, barrens, woodlands, and bottomland forests, usually over calcareous substrates. Distribution: NH, QC, MB, and MT south to Panhandle FL, nc. TX, and ne. NM.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, Can, FNA3, G, K4, Mi, Mo3, NE, NS, NY, Pa, POWO, S, S13, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WV; = Celtis occidentalis L. var. occidentalis — RAB; < Celtis occidentalis L. — WH3; > Celtis occidentalis L. var. canina (Raf.) Sarg. — F, GrPl, Il, Tat; > Celtis occidentalis L. var. crassifolia (Lam.) A.Gray — Tat; > Celtis occidentalis L. var. occidentalis — F, GrPl, Il, Tat; > Celtis occidentalis L. var. pumila (Pursh) A.Gray — F, GrPl, Il, misapplied. Basionym: Celtis occidentalis L. 1753
Links to other floras: = Celtis occidentalis - FNA3
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Great Plains: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Midwest: FAC (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Northcentral & Northeast: FAC (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
Heliophily ⓘ: 5
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Horticultural Information
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Height: 40-60 feet
plant sale text: Common hackberry is distinguished by its unusual, corky bark with warty protuberances. It produces abundant reddish-purple drupes in the fall which birds relish. Common hackberry typically grows in floodplains and bottomlands, but it will tolerate a wide range of soil conditions and is well suited to growing in an urban environment. Several species of moth and butterflies rely on this tree species as a larval host and nectar source.
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