Why Plant Common Hackberry?
A tough, native shade tree with subtle charms. Common Hackberry is usually the supporting actor, not the star, but it always puts on a winning performance. This sturdy stalwart can cope with rocky soil, drought, periodic flooding, pollution, salt spray, strong winds, alkaline soil, high heat, and frigid winters and doesn't miss a beat. It forms a handsome, upright/arching outline and sports a heavily textured gray trunk that you'll want to touch. The serrated green leaves are Elm-like (Hackberry is related to Elm, but it doesn't get Dutch Elm disease). A great tree for semi-wild spaces, native plant gardens, parking lots, and low-maintenance landscapes.
Common Hackberry happily inhabits all sorts of wild spaces from Texas to North Carolina and north into Canada. It thrives in forests and on prairies and riverbanks, and it gets along well even on rocky outcroppings. Wildlife flock to it. In early fall, the purple-brown fruits, which are sweet like raisins, attract songbirds for a free snack. Cedar waxwings and robins are especially fond of them. A variety of butterflies also visit this tree. Mourning clocks, question marks, and tawny emperors are just a few that use Hackberry as a host plant.
How to use Common Hackberry in the landscape?
Common Hackberry should be called the 'Butterfly Tree' for the wealth of butterflies it supports. Perhaps the most charming is the Hackberry butterfly. This endearing little creature loves people (actually, it likes to sip the salts from our skin). You may feel a tickle while you're out working in the garden and find a Hackberry butterfly has landed on you!
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 3-9
How To Plant Common Hackberry
Common Hackberry will grow fastest in full sun or light shade, in soil that is rich and moist. However, it will put up with poor growing conditions without complaint. A couple of issues that Hackberries sometimes face are witches' brooms (a proliferation of congested, twiggy growth) and Hackberry nipple gall (which appears as small bumps on the leaves). Neither of these is a serious problem. They are merely cosmetic afflictions that aren't real threats to your Tree.
How To Water
Water your Common Hackberry well during the first couple of years of establishment, it should be able to fend for itself after that!
How To Fertilize
When freshly planted, be sure to fertilize the Bower & Branch Elements Starter Plant Food. From there, you should fertilize each year in early spring!
How To Prune
Prune your Common Hackberry in late fall to winter, when the tree is dormant. Remove any dead or dying branches, or any cross branching that you may see.
How Does Shipping Work?
Bower & Branch Trees, the real BIG trees, don’t fit in a box! Our big trees, sizes XL and bigger, require expert delivery and care, that means our extra-large trees are shipped on Bower & Branch trucks. We are the only ones who know how to ship our big and bigger trees and plants with tender loving care. We deliver your trees and plants directly to you. Ask Bower & Branch about planting services – we'd be happy to assist in installation.
*For Big trees and Shrubs, Size XL and bigger: Review our Seasonal Shipping Timelines and Policy here.
Your trees and plants are grown across the United States at various Bower & Branch Growers. Depending on your location, your plant orders may be shipped from various locations. Please expect orders with multiple items to be delivered over a number of days as a result. Orders made up of numerous items or selections will not arrive at your home on the same day.
Shipping Delays:
From time to time, Bower & Branch Growers may determine to delay order shipment based on various factors for plant health. Weather in your region, as well as, where your plants are grown, is always considered when shipping. Extreme weather conditions may delay some or all of your order. Bower & Branch allows our Growers to make final shipping decisions based solely to benefit your trees and plants’ health and success.
How Does Sizing Work?
The size of our trees have nothing to do with the container size like you may find elsewhere–big doesn't mean just height - it’s also vigor, age, and overall health. Other online retailers are going to tell you that a plant is a seven gallon, that means nothing to your tree or plant (or you.)
Our trees for sale online are graded on large, x-large, and even bigger sizes. This is because our trees are sized by their age—the higher the letter, the more mature the tree. The age determines the trees’ overall height, size of the trunk and the overall branch density.
All of these characteristics are what you should be looking for when choosing a tree for immediate impact and instant curb appeal. Our extra-large tree and plant sizes are sure to wow you and your neighbors!
See the size guides below.
