Dwarf Hackberry

Celtis pumila

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), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Native to Virginia. 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 61 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 4

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.

Named place / source context. Shown: Watauga Falls, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Watauga Falls, Illustrator/engraver not confidently attributed; reproduced in Zeigler and Grosscup, The Heart of the Alleghanies (1883), 1883. Public domain. Source record.

Forests and woodlands

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

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 Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 76 animals.

Orchard Oriole
Icterus spurius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Pine Siskin
Carduelis pinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Prairie Warbler
Dendroica discolor
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Purple Finch
Carpodacus purpureus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Regulus calendula
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Archilochus colubris
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Ruffed Grouse
Bonasa umbellus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Tufted Titmouse
Baeolophus bicolor
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Birds. 1 shared habitat
White-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta carolinensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Birds. 1 shared habitat
White-winged Crossbill
Loxia leucoptera
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Wood Thrush
Hylocichla mustelina
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 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

Virginia rank	S4
Global rank	G5
VA 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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