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Common hackberry
Habit (mature) · Gilles Ayotte, Bibliothèque de l'Université Laval / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Limited coverage
Common hackberry
Celtis occidentalis
A tough, widely adaptable native shade tree of central and northeastern North America, growing 40-60 feet tall and wide with a rounded, spreading crown. Mature gray bark develops the warty corky ridges that make it instantly recognizable, and the round purple drupes are edible and feed dozens of bird species. One of the most pollution- and stress-tolerant street and shade trees available — it shrugs off wind, urban conditions, and wet, dry, or poor soils alike.
Native: 40 US states + 3 CA provinces
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: broad (94/100)
Structure
Focal point
Light
Full sun / Part shade
Water
Consistent moisture
Mature size
480-720" tall · 360" apart
Hardy in zones
2a-9b
brutally cold to frosty winters
Summer heat range
Cool-Hot
cool to hot summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
Yes
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A documented larval host for the Mourning cloak and 3 other species — caterpillars feed on its foliage before becoming the next generation.
Wildlife relationships
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Well-suited
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
✓
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Where this plant fits
Suitable across 41 ecoregions — 40 climate-resilient through 2070 · 1 suited today. Best matches first.
Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests
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Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests
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Arizona Mountains forests
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Atlantic coastal pine barrens
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Blue Mountains forests
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Canadian Aspen forests and parklands
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Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests
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Central Tallgrass prairie
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Central-Southern Cascades Forests
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Chilean Matorral
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Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/common-hackberry
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Backs 1 field
Image
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Database
Botanical research database
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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