Celtis laevigata Willd.

Sugarberry; Southern Hackberry; Mississippi Hackberry

Tree

Perennial

Vascular

Sugarberry is a large native deciduous tree in the Hemp family (Cannabaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Sugarberry occurs along fence rows, in bottomlands, along streams and rivers, in prairies, and in rocky woods. It is a large tree reaching heights of 90 feet. The bark is thin, light gray in color, and smooth or covered in corky outgrowths. Young twigs are pubescent, becoming glabrous. The leaves are alternate, petiolate, elliptic to ovate-lanceolate in outline, glabrous, yellowish green in color on both surfaces, and with sharply acuminate tips. The margins are entire or with a few teeth and ciliate. The leaves have unequal bases. The unisexual flowers are produced in leaf axils on the same tree. The staminate flowers lack petals and have 5-6 stamens. They are produced in cymes or fascicles. The pistillate flowers are solitary or in few-flowered clusters. They lack petals and have 5-6 non-functional stamens and a sessile, ovoid ovary. The fruit is a globose, dry drupe with a single large seed. The drupe is orange or brownish red in color and glabrous. The fruits remain on the tree late into winter and are attractive to a variety of wildlife, especially birds. Sugarberry is tolerant of drought and flooding, and does well in heavy compacted soils. It is occasionally planted as a street tree in urban areas.—A. Diamond

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Native FACW (NWPL)

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