Dwarf hackberry packages many of the appealing qualities of northern hackberry (C. occidentalis ) into a smaller tree suitable for tighter spaces. Hackberry is one of the best food-and-shelter plants for wildlife—it hosts 47 Lepidoptera species, and birds consume huge quantities of the small, round fruits, which are also edible for humans. Although dwarf hackberry lacks the extremely ridged, warty texture of its larger cousin, it yields sweeter-tasting fruits. It grows best in full sun and is a long-lived tree in ideal conditions, reaching 20 to 30 feet in height with a narrow crown formed by upright, twisty branches. It prefers rich, well-drained soils but is tolerant of a range of soil conditions and withstands drought, wind, and pollution.
Hackberry, like others in the Elm family, has alternate leaves with serrated margins and leaf bases that are asymmetrical around the petioles. Tenuifolia is Latin for "thin leaf," although the leaves of dwarf hackberry vary in thickness.
Dwarf hackberry is native to eastern North America (another common name is Georgia hackberry), but it is uncommon north of the Ohio River. Its population has declined due to human development, overcompetition by taller plants, and some pests. Preserving dwarf hackberry in the wild also benefits the rare habitats in which it grows. One of these plant communities is the oak savanna, which has become one of the rarest ecosystems in the world. Ohio ecologist Jessica Susser tells a captivating story of oak savannas in an article for Midstory, a non-profit, educational media site (https://www.midstory.org/oak-savannas-a-story-of-midwestern-resilience/).
Native habitats include foothills and bluffs, savannas, rocky uplands (another common name is upland hackberry), slopes, and along streams in open woods.
Plant Characteristics:
Grows 20-30' tall.
Grows best in full sun, but tolerates part shade. Intolerant of full shade.
Prefers rich, well-drained, dry to moist soils but tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, including clay, limestone, sand, and gravel. Tolerates poor and wet soils. Withstands drought once established.
Insignificant greenish-white flowers in May or June develop into rounded green fruits in summer, changing to yellow orange then purple-black by fall. Flowers are wind pollinated.
Reproductive System: polygamo-monecious with unisexual flowers and perfect flowers.
Broadly ovate leaves are up to 3" long with coarsely serrated margins and unequal sides.
Gray bark is smooth with some warts and ridges.
Wildlife Value:
Host to 47 species of Lepidoptera, including the question mark and mourning cloak butterflies and at least 7 specialists whose larvae can only feed on leaves of the hackberry tree, such as hackberry emperor and American snout butterflies pictured here. The fruit is relished by cardinals, flickers, robins, cedar waxwings, and brown thrashers. The trunks often have hollow portions that make excellent homes for birds and small animals.
Medicinal, Edible, and Other Uses:
Native Americans decocted the bark to treat sore throats, induce abortion, regulate menstrual cycles, and treat venereal diseases.
The sweet, crunchy berries are highly nutritious and have been consumed by humans since ancient times. They may be mashed--seeds and all--into a paste and mixed with ground nuts or other ingredients, dried to use as a spice, or processed into wine or jelly.
While not considered valuable as a timber tree, hackberry wood is commonly used as firewood or to make inexpensive furniture.
Resources:
North Carolina Extension: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/celtis-tenuifolia/
Ohio ODNR: https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/broad-leaf-trees/hackberry-celtis-occidentalis
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtis_tenuifolia