Fauna
Plant · GBIF taxon 2984491

Sugar Hackberry

Celtis laevigata

Also known as Sugarberry, Southern Hackberry, Lowland Hackberry, Texas Hackberry

Sugar hackberry trees dominate southern floodplains with smooth gray bark covered in distinctive, corky warts and ridges. Dense clusters of small, fleshy reddish-purple drupes ripen in autumn and persist into winter, providing a critical cold-weather food source for songbirds. Its flexible branches and dense foliage also serve as the primary larval host for several butterfly species, including the hackberry emperor.

Native TreeWildlife HostDeciduous
Sugar Hackberry reference1 / 7
Licensed reference(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
  • Hackberry Emperor Caterpillars
  • White-tailed Deer
  • Eastern Gray Squirrel
ThreatsHabitat loss, mistletoe parasitism, heart rot fungi
HabitatsFloodplains, bottomland forests, stream banks, moist woods
Life span100–150 years
Classification
  1. OrderRosales
  2. FamilyCannabaceae
  3. GenusCeltis
  4. SpeciesCeltis laevigata
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Wild berries have toxic look-alikes; never eat based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
  • Bark Inspection: Look for smooth gray bark studded with distinctive, corky warts and ridges.
  • Leaf Distinction: Check leaf margins; sugar hackberry leaves are mostly smooth, unlike common hackberry.
  • Butterfly Spotting: Scan foliage in spring for caterpillars of the hackberry emperor butterfly.
Related species
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