Common Hackberry

Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) is a fast growing deciduous shade tree for the sites that defeat gentler species. It reaches around 12m tall and 10m wide with a broad domed canopy, turns clear yellow before dropping its leaves, and keeps going through drought, heat, wind and compacted soil. This is a working tree, chosen for reliability rather than delicacy.

Why you'll love it

• Fast, dependable shade. A broad canopy of about 10m across develops quickly, which is what a bare paddock corner or a hot western wall needs.
• Autumn colour without fuss. Leaves turn a clean yellow before dropping, then the bare frame lets winter sun through to the house.
• Genuinely tough. Frost hardy, heat tolerant, wind firm, drought tolerant and untroubled by poor soil, which is why it is a standard street tree overseas.
• Birds use it. Small berries follow the insignificant flowers and are worked over by birds through the cooler months.

Where it works best

Shade over a large space. Give it 10m of clear room from buildings and boundaries. It is a good fit for a rural yard, a big back garden or a park style verge.

Driveways and avenues. Space trees 10m to 12m apart for a matched line. Closer planting produces narrow crowded crowns rather than the broad shape the tree is worth planting for.

Windbreaks. It holds together in wind that snaps softer trees, so it earns a place on the exposed boundary of an open block.

Growing Common Hackberry in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun and open ground. It performs in warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, which covers most of southern Australia and the inland. Humid tropical gardens are not its climate.

Soil. Almost anything, including alkaline, compacted or gravelly soil. That tolerance is the point of the tree. Improve the backfill with compost anyway to speed the first two years.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, then it largely fends for itself. A slow release fertiliser each spring while the tree is young is enough.

Pruning. Prune in winter while dormant. Remove crossing branches and lift the canopy gradually over the first few years to the clearance you want beneath it.

What to expect when it arrives

We supply this one in a single size, 100L, which is an advanced tree with several seasons of growth and a formed trunk. It arrives ready to give useful shade within two to three years rather than a decade. It will be leafless if it lands during winter dormancy, which is normal and not a fault.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Stake for the first two winters on exposed sites and water deeply through the establishment period. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing a canopy tree for shade
• Browse deciduous trees
• Compare trees and plants with autumn colour
• Advanced trees for immediate impact

Common questions

Does it become a weed?

Birds eat the berries and spread the seed, and in some districts hackberry is listed as an environmental weed. Check your council or state listing before planting it near bushland or a waterway.

How fast does it grow?

Fast for a shade tree, commonly 60cm to 1m a year on reasonable soil with water through the first summers, and slower on dry gravel.

Is it safe to plant near paving?

Allow generous clearance. This is a 12m tree with a substantial root plate, so keep it at least 5m from paths, driveways and services rather than treating it as a courtyard tree.