Dwarf Hackberry
Celtis tenuifolia
Hackberry wildlife value at 10 to 20 feet: butterfly host, fall berries for birds, and toughness in thin, dry soils. Sized for a residential lot.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
All the butterfly and bird value of hackberry in a 10-20 foot tree. it fits the residential yard and handles difficult dry conditions without asking for anything.
Dwarf hackberry is the hackberry that fits a residential lot, growing to 10 to 20 feet where the full species reaches 60. It keeps the same ecological profile as its larger relative: host plant for multiple butterfly species, including question marks and hackberry emperors, small dark berries for birds in fall, and a tough adaptability to poor soils that makes it genuinely useful in challenging conditions. Warty, corky bark gives it distinctive year-round texture. It grows in thin soils over rock, on dry sandy banks, and along roadsides where other trees fail. For a small property with a dry or difficult spot, dwarf hackberry delivers real wildlife value in a package that won't outgrow its space in a generation.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown dwarf hackberry propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 10–20 ft · 10–20 ft wide
- USDA zones
- 5–9
- Family
- Cannabaceae
- Native range
- Eastern United States
Care notes for dwarf hackberry.
Full sun to part shade, tolerates rocky, sandy, dry soils. Extremely adaptable. No pruning needed. Drought tolerant once established. No fertilizing required. One of the most trouble-free small trees in our catalog.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside dwarf hackberry.
Or skip the guesswork.
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