Natural History

Celtis occidentalis

Celtis occidentalis, commonly known as the common hackberry, is a large deciduous tree native to North America. It is also known as the nettletree, beaverwood, northern hackberry, and American hackberry. It is a moderately long-lived hardwood, with a light-colored wood that is yellowish gray to light brown with yellow streaks. The common hackberry is easily distinguished from elms and some other hackberries by its cork-like bark with wart-like protuberances. The leaves are distinctly asymmetrical and coarse-textured. It produces small fruits that turn orange-red to dark purple in the autumn, often staying on the trees for several months. The common hackberry is easily confused with the sugarberry (Celtis laevigata); these two are most easily distinguished by their range and habitat. The common hackberry also has wider leaves that are coarser above than the sugarberry.

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See also

• ▸Gastornis
• ▸Ceroxylon
• ▸Evolution of snake venom

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