Dwarf Hackberry

Celtis tenuifolia

Found in dry to moist glades, outcrops, barrens, woodlands, exposed bluffs, stream banks, and disturbed areas, often over calcareous substrate. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

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Height: 6–36 feet
Spread: 8–15 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 11.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

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Celtis pumila — fruit photograph — (c) Bill Sheehan, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous or semi-evergreen
Bloom: April to May
Fruiting season: August to October

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Recorded in 58 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 4

Limestone cedar glade. Shown: Cedar Glade Number 5, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Catoosa County, Georgia, a neighboring state.Cedar Glade Number 5, Chickamauga and Chattanooga NMP, Catoosa County, Alan M. Cressler / U.S. Geological Survey, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Streams, rivers and their banks

Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 75 animals.

Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Screech-owl
Megascops asio
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eurasian Collared-dove
Streptopelia decaocto
Birds. 1 shared habitat
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Field Sparrow
Spizella pusilla
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Fish Crow
Corvus ossifragus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus crinitus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hairy Woodpecker
Picoides villosus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Lapland Longspur
Calcarius lapponicus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Lark Sparrow
Chondestes grammacus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Loggerhead Shrike
Lanius ludovicianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Merlin
Falco columbarius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Bobwhite
Colinus virginianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

50CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Celtis

Asterocampa celtisHackberry Emperor
Automeris ioIo Moth
Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak
Polygonia interrogationisQuestion Mark
Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
Acronicta rubricomaRuddy Dagger, Hackberry Dagger
Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
Asterocampa clytonTawny Emperor
Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper

Show all 50

Catocala sordidaSordid Underwing
Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Cryptothelea gloveriiOrange Bagworm
Digrammia continuataCurve-Lined Angle
Ecdytolopha manaBicolored Ecdytolopha
Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
Euplexia benesimilisAmerican Angle Shades
Eupsilia vinulentaStraight-Toothed Sallow
Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Isogona tenuisThin-Lined Owlet
Isturgia dislocariaPale-Veined Isturgia, Pale-Veined Econista
Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
Libytheana carinentaAmerican Snout [subspecies: Eastern Snout Butterfly]
Megalopyge crispataBlack-Waved Flannel Moth, Crinkled Flannel Moth
Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
Megalopyge pyxidiferaYellow Flannel Moth
Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
Norape cretataWhite Flannel Moth
Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
Orgyia definitaDefinite Tussock Moth
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Paleacrita vernataSpring Cankerworm Moth
Phigalia strigatariaSmall Phigalia, Small Oak Looper
Phyllodesma americanaLappet Moth, American Lappet Moth, Southern Lappet Moth
Polygonia commaEastern Comma
Prionoxystus robiniaeCarpenterworm Moth, Black Locust Borer, Cottonwood Borer
Rifargia subrotataSmall Heterocampa
Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
Sciota celtidellaHackberry Leafroller
Sciota rubrisparsellaRed-Splashed Leafroller
Sericaglaea signataVariable Sallow
Sparganothis pulcherrimanaBeautiful Sparganothis Moth
Sphinx drupiferarumWild Cherry Sphinx
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Tallula watsoniWatson's Tallula
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
Phyllonorycter celtifoliella

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

0BeesSoutheastern regional records

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

21BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Celtis

Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Catharus fuscescensVeery
Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
Corvus brachyrhynchosAmerican Crow
Cyrtonyx montezumaeMontezuma Quail
Leptotila verreauxiWhite-tipped Dove

Show all 21

Melanerpes carolinusRed-bellied Woodpecker
Melozone fuscaCanyon Towhee
Myadestes townsendiTownsend's Solitaire
Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
Ortalis vetulaPlain Chachalaca
Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling
Toxostoma curvirostreCurve-billed Thrasher
Toxostoma longirostreLong-billed Thrasher
Toxostoma rufumBrown Thrasher
Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Cannabaceae
Hardiness: Zones 5a–9b
Soil pH: Acidic to alkaline
Flower color: Green, orange, red or white
Fruit begins: August
Fruit ends: October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to May” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Green, orange, red or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Fruit begins · “August” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Hardiness · “Zones 5a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “6–36 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Leaves · “Deciduous or semi-evergreen” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “8–15 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Celtis occidentalis var. georgiana; Celtis tenuifolia; Georgia Hackberry

Conservation status

Alabama rank	SNR
Global rank	G5
AL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Dwarf Hackberry

At a glance

Natural habitats

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Sources

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