Hackberry, Common | Arboretum | SIU

This tree is one of the 150 trees initially included in the arboretum to coincide with the campus's 150th anniversary celebration.

Scientific Name:
Celtis occidentalis

Cultivar:

Native to:
Quebec to Manitoba, south to North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma

Mature Height and Width:
40-60 feet by 40-60 feet, can reach 100 feet high

Additional Notes:
Hackberry is most readily recognized by its warty bark.  This abundant bottomland species provided an important food source for Native Americans where the berries were used to flavor a porridge made of corn and animal fat.  Those with a more cosmopolitan palate have likened the taste to that of dates.  However, the fruit is small and typically difficult to reach, so these days you are probably better off just buying some dates.  Just sayin’

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