Hackberry (Nettle Tree or Sugarberry)
Celtis species (ULMACEAE)
Planting and Growing Hackberry Trees
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow hackberry, nettle trees, or sugarberry trees in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and fruit of hackberry trees, nettle trees, or sugarberry trees
- Growing conditions for hackberry, nettle tree, or sugarberry
- When to plant hackberry, nettle tree, or sugarberry
- How to plant hackberry, nettle tree, or sugarberry
- How to prune hackberry, nettle tree, or sugarberry
- Watering, fertilizing, and care of hackberry, nettle tree, or sugarberry
- Landscape uses of hackberry, nettle tree, or sugarberry
- Pest and disease control for hackberry, nettle tree, or sugarberry
Growing Hackberry Trees
About 70 species of fast- to medium-growing, upright, round-crowned, deciduous trees, 70–120 ft. (21–37 m) tall, with elmlike, green, textured, droplet-shaped, pointed, sharp-toothed leaves, 3–6 in. (75–150 mm) long, turning yellow in autumn, and with corklike, textured, cinnamon-colored bark.
Hackberry Planting and Care Guide
Flowers and Fruit
Inconspicuous flowers form many edible, round, orange purple, red, fruit, to 1/4–in. (6–mm) wide, in summer.
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 6–8. Choose Celtis occidentalis, zones 3–8. Best with winter chill.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist to dry, sandy to clayey soil. Fertility: Average–low. 6.0–8.0 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Full sun. Space large species 15–20 ft. (4.5–6 m) apart, small species and dwarf cultivars 10 ft. (3 m) apart.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep damp until established. Drought tolerant. Avoid fertilizing and pruning. Stake until established. Propagate by cuttings, grafting, layering, seed.
About This Species
Good choice for allées, edgings, screens in natural, open, prairie gardens and roadside plantings. Good for seasonal shade. Fruit attracts birds. Very deep rooted. Wind tolerant. Psyllidae, or harmless leaf gall, may disfigure foliage.