Common Hackberry

Celtis occidentalis

Found in dry to moist glades, outcrops, barrens, woodlands, and bottomland forests, usually over calcareous substrates. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

Strong

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

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Height: 40–100 feet
Spread: 40–60 feet
Light: Deep shade, 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

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Celtis occidentalis — bloom photograph — Sten Porse · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

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

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Recorded in 95 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 3

Limestone cedar glade. Shown: Pennyroyal Plain, Simpson County, Kentucky, a neighboring state.Cedar glade in the Pennyroyal Plain, Simpson County, Mason Brock (Masebrock), undated. Public domain. Source record.

Forests and woodlands

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

Floodplain and bottomland forests

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

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 163 animals.

Yellow-crowned Night-heron
Nyctanassa violacea
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Yellow-throated Warbler
Dendroica dominica
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Dendroica caerulescens
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Black-throated Green Warbler
Dendroica virens
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Blackburnian Warbler
Dendroica fusca
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Canvasback
Aythya valisineria
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Dendroica pensylvanica
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Evening Grosbeak
Coccothraustes vespertinus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Fish Crow
Corvus ossifragus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Loggerhead Shrike
Lanius ludovicianus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Northern Bobwhite
Colinus virginianus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Snowy Owl
Bubo scandiacus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Willow Flycatcher
Empidonax traillii
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Coot
Fulica americana
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Tree Sparrow
Spizella arborea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Bachman's Sparrow
Aimophila aestivalis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue-headed Vireo
Vireo solitarius
Birds. 1 shared habitat

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 3a–9b
Soil pH: Acidic to alkaline
Flower color: Yellow, green, inconspicuous, orange or purple
Growth rate: Rapid
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

Bloom · “March to May” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow, green, inconspicuous, orange or purple” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “August” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “40–100 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Deep shade (less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight); 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 (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards differs)
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards differs)
Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “40–60 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Celtis occidentalis var. occidentalis; Hackberry; Northern Hackberry

Conservation status

Virginia rank	S5
Global rank	G5
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Common 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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