Celtis is a genus of medium to large-sized trees native to warm temperate areas of the Northern hemisphere. There are around 60 species world-wide, but only a handful are used in horticulture.
Hackberries are tough, adaptable trees that tolerate drought fairly well and grow in most ordinary landscape conditions without complaint. Their dry orange to purple berries are edible, along with the seeds, giving them a fun crunchy texture. The flavor is nothing to write home about, and I certainly would not plant the tree specifically for this reason, but it is a nice side benefit for those who know.
For many years, hackberries were a nearly ideal urban tree and many large specimens can be seen throughout Sacramento. Unfortunately, in the early 2000's, the Asian wooly hackberry aphid was accidentally introduced and has become ubiquitous in our area. While this tiny pest does not measurably harm the trees, they produce an incredible quantity of honeydew, a concentrated syrupy liquid that contains a very high sugar content. This material coats the entire area under the tree, making everything uncomfortably sticky. The infestation can be treated, but usually returns, requiring repeated applications of costly and toxic chemicals. For this reason, these trees are rarely planted these days.
The main species in our area are C. australis, C. sinensis, and C. occidentalis. In my experience, the European hackberry, C. australis, is the most beautiful and successful species here, which is not surprising given its natural range along the Mediterranean.
Hackberries are tough, adaptable trees that tolerate drought fairly well and grow in most ordinary landscape conditions without complaint. Their dry orange to purple berries are edible, along with the seeds, giving them a fun crunchy texture. The flavor is nothing to write home about, and I certainly would not plant the tree specifically for this reason, but it is a nice side benefit for those who know.
For many years, hackberries were a nearly ideal urban tree and many large specimens can be seen throughout Sacramento. Unfortunately, in the early 2000's, the Asian wooly hackberry aphid was accidentally introduced and has become ubiquitous in our area. While this tiny pest does not measurably harm the trees, they produce an incredible quantity of honeydew, a concentrated syrupy liquid that contains a very high sugar content. This material coats the entire area under the tree, making everything uncomfortably sticky. The infestation can be treated, but usually returns, requiring repeated applications of costly and toxic chemicals. For this reason, these trees are rarely planted these days.
The main species in our area are C. australis, C. sinensis, and C. occidentalis. In my experience, the European hackberry, C. australis, is the most beautiful and successful species here, which is not surprising given its natural range along the Mediterranean.