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Sugarberry

Celtis laevigata

Found in bottomland forests, especially on natural levees, upland calcareous forests and woodlands, shell middens. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

65
Strong

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

Profile 100%

Height
50–70 feet
Spread
30 feet–60 feet 8 inches
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 30 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
April to May
Fruiting season
August to October

Recorded in 73 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

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

1 of 2

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 145 animals.

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

49CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · 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
  • Anisota virginiensisPink-striped Oakworm Moth
  • Asterocampa clytonTawny Emperor
Show all 49
  • Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
  • Catocala sordidaSordid Underwing
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • 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]
  • Lophocampa caryaeHickory Tussock Moth, Hickory Tiger Moth
  • 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
  • Sphinx drupiferarumWild Cherry Sphinx
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Tallula watsoniWatson's Tallula
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
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–10b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Green or white
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Single stem
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
August
Fruit ends
October

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Celtis iguanaea; Southern Hackberry; Southern Sugarberry

Conservation status

Virginia rankNot available
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources