The gray bark develops warty, cork-like ridges as it matures, giving it an easily recognizable, rugged look.
Produces sweet, dark-purple drupes that are eaten by birds, deer, and small mammals, while its leaves feed caterpillars of several butterfly species, including the Hackberry Emperor and Question Mark.
Hackberry wood has been used for furniture, fencing, and even athletic equipment due to its durability and shock resistance.
Indigenous people ate the berries fresh or dried, often mixing them with meat or fat to make a form of energy-rich food similar to pemmican.
The gray bark develops warty, cork-like ridges as it matures, giving it an easily recognizable, rugged look.
Produces sweet, dark-purple drupes that are eaten by birds, deer, and small mammals, while its leaves feed caterpillars of several butterfly species, including the Hackberry Emperor and Question Mark.
Hackberry wood has been used for furniture, fencing, and even athletic equipment due to its durability and shock resistance.
Indigenous people ate the berries fresh or dried, often mixing them with meat or fat to make a form of energy-rich food similar to pemmican.
Bloom: spring
Habitats: disturbed open woodlands; fence rows; mesic upland woodlands; moist to mesic floodplain woodlands; moist to mesic savannas; riverbanks
Lifespan: perennial
Moisture: moist to mesic
Plant type (height): tree (40 to 80 feet)
Requirements: full sun to partial sun
Soil: rich loam
