Hackberry is a member of the elm family which is a versatile shade tree. It prefers moist and bottomland soils. Hackberry is adaptable to
rocky, compacted, or dry soil. This tree provides shade, controls erosion and windbreak. Hackberry has rounded crowns and slender branches. Hackberry trees are planted in the parks, gardens, and backyards as it is tolerable to drought, air pollution of the air and also provide shade.
Hackberry Quick Facts
Name:
Hackberry
Scientific Name:
Celtis occidentalis
Origin
North America
Colors
Black, purple or red (Fruit)
Shapes
Oblong drupe, oval; Diameter: 1/4-1/3 inch (Fruit)
Taste
Sweet
Celtis occidentalis, generally known as Hackberry or less commonly as American hackberry, Mississippi hackberry, Nettletree, Northern Hackberry, Sugarberry, and beaver wood, is a species native to North America. Hackberry is a deciduous and perennial tree comprising the flowering plant genus Celtis in the plant family Ulmaceae. Some common varieties of Hackberry are Green Cascade, Prairie Sentinel, Prairie Pride, and Magnifica.
HACKBERRY FACTS
Name
Hackberry
Scientific Name
Celtis occidentalis
Native
North America
Common/English Name
American hackberry, Hackberry, Mississippi hackberry, Nettletree, Northern hackberry, Sugarberry, vals witstinkhout, amerikanischer Zürgelbaum, bäralm and beaverwood
Celtis occidentalis var. audibertiana (Spach) Dippel
Celtis occidentalis var. cordata (Pers.) Willd.
Celtis occidentalis var. crassifolia (Lam.) A.Gray
Celtis occidentalis var. occidentalis
Celtis occidentalis var. serrulata Spach
Celtis occidentalis var. submembranacea Fernald
Celtis parvifolia Raf.
Celtis procera Salisb.
Celtis scabra Dippel
Celtis tenuifolia Raf.
Celtis urticifolia Raf.
Sponia occidentalis G.Don
Sponia pumila G.Don
Celtis occidentalis grow like a tree from 40-80 feet tall and may live for up to 150-200 years. The bark is grayish-brown, has corky warts, and has ridges. The leaves are 2 ½-4 inches long; 1 ½ inches wide, alternately arranged, oval to lance-shaped, pinnate, and green. The fruit is an oblong drupe, oval of 1/4-1/3 inch as a diameter. Flowers are small and greenish to yellow. This plant attracts butterflies, bees, and birds.
Health Benefits of Hackberry
The Native Americans used Hackberry as medicine or food. Free radicals are related to the health ailments such as aging and cancer. Hackberry is the plant that is used in folk medicine due to its cytotoxic and antioxidant properties. The investigation shows that the leaf extracts and the isolation of bioactive compounds. The n-butanol fractions, aqueous and ethanolic extracts, and isolated compounds were tested for the presence of antioxidant activities with the use of xanthine oxidase induced generation of superoxide radical, DPPH radical scavenging assay. With the use of standard MTT assay, the cytotoxic activities were studied. The variable cytotoxic activities were shown by all extracts. The study shows that the leaf extracts possess cytotoxic and antioxidant activities.
Other Facts
Flowers are a nectar source for bees which are considered the main pollinators.
Each fruit possesses one seed.
The tree has softwood which is used for firewood and manufacture of cheap furniture, fence posts, boxes, and plywood.
The tree is planted on the banks of the river to prevent soil erosion and flooding.
Native Americans used the tree as the fuel source for fire during ceremonies.
Various mammals and birds feed on the berries of the tree after they ripen.
