American Hackberry - Celtis occidentalis

[Jaberwky17]

You know I love me some Hackberry. I have two one of which is certainly Chinese, the other one is probably the same. Would like to work with the American variety. One thing I've found is the necessity of not pruning any new growth past about early-mid August (here). The small twiggy branches do suffer some winter dieback, so the more you leave the less you loose. You can get these to ramify if you follow that strategy, some people claim that they are difficult to ramify.

Do you have any suggestions on care guides for hackberry? I got one this spring and its growth is INSANE right now - I swear 1" plus per day on the tips. I'm not kidding. It's kind of scary.

 

[JudyB]

Don't prune after the middle of July. Winter protect well. The tip ends will experience dieback on newer growth, so just don't trim late in the season (for us in colder areas) I've found that sometimes they will only extend growth from tip pruning, it's actually better to let it run a little to get some side buds to break on the branch then cut back after you get some ramification. Hope this makes sense, if not I'll try to clarify.

 

[Carrie.a.gordon]

Anybody have any progress pics since this last post five years ago? I am undertaking one of these. I have an evergreen hedge that has been disrupted by a good sized volunteer hackberry. My priority was to get the hackberry foliage out of the hedge so the hedge can recover over the spring but I left a good stump of the hackberry in place to collect in early spring. I also jammed a few cuttings in the nearby soil for science. Not optimistic about their survival.

 

[HoneyHornet]

Anybody have any progress pics since this last post five years ago? I am undertaking one of these. I have an evergreen hedge that has been disrupted by a good sized volunteer hackberry. My priority was to get the hackberry foliage out of the hedge so the hedge can recover over the spring but I left a good stump of the hackberry in place to collect in early spring. I also jammed a few cuttings in the nearby soil for science. Not optimistic about their survival.

Super hardy and respond well to hedge pruning i have one in ground that was a decently tall tree and ut it down few yr ago n left approx a foot of stump.. turned into a eyesore in the landscape like a wild hairy bush and then cut it back to profile and then I've just been continually profile shaping it and here is where it is at now

Not an ideal specimen but it has responded well I need to go in and select some branching and then perhaps let it all run as suggested above to develop

 

[HoneyHornet]

My other celtis where the leaf size is more reduced..better ramification ..needs a little prune

 

[Carrie.a.gordon]

My other celtis where the leaf size is more reduced..better ramification ..needs a little prune

Wow awesome. These look really nice!

 

[HoneyHornet]

Wow awesome. These look really nice!

Thnk u its the same tree lol

 

[Thousand.cranes.bonsai]

Every few years we have a bumper crop of Celtis occidentalis seedlings in our neighborhood from the boulevard trees the city planted--at least they're a common weed in my yard. I've been working with them for a few years--they ramify really well and the leaves get down to under an inch long. They don't seem to like full sun (leaves will get crispy edges) when in a pot. They'll take a zone 4 winter outside on the ground mulched in though the jury is still out on the results of this winter...

Ive been looking for a bumper crop of hackberry seedlings! Do you have any to spare currently by any chance? Id gladly pay for your trouble.