• Height: 40-60 ft
  
• Spread: 40-60 ft
  
• Light: Full sun-Part shade
  
• Soil: Average-Wet
  
• Zone: 2-9
  
• Deer resistance: Moderate
  
• Deciduous
• Native

This is a long lived tree that has coarsely toothed rough green leaves. Typically growing with a nice straight trunk and a crown that is as wide as the tree is tall. The bark is quite bumpy and scaly making it rather easy to identify. Hackberry produces small greenish flowers that are not showy. Flowers give way to the main attraction round dark purple fruits that ripen in the fall.

A good choice for supporting many types of wildlife! Hackberry is a host plant for several different species of butterfly including Hackberry Emperor, Mourning Cloak, American Snout, Tawny Emperor, and Question Mark. (Click for more butterfly plants) The fruits are very appealing to different bird species and small mammals like squirrels.

Naturally occurring in wet lowlands this tree prefers rich, wet/moist soils but is very adaptable to most conditions. Usually if the soil is drier you end up with a smaller sized tree. This is a good tree to use in rain gardens and wet landscapes. It is also a great choice for wildlife gardens and natural landscapes. Hackberry is a fast growing tree so although it is long lived the wood tends to be weaker than slow growing species like oaks.