Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata): Southern Relative of Hackberry

Sugarberry, also known as sugar hackberry, is a medium to large deciduous tree native to the southeastern United States. Closely related to common hackberry, it shares similar toughness but has smoother bark, narrower leaves, and sweeter fruit—hence the name. It is a valuable component of bottomland forests and urban canopies in the South.

Botanical Profile

• Family: Ulmaceae (elm family)
• Genus: Celtis
• Species: laevigata

Distinguishing Features

Bark is smoother and lighter gray than common hackberry, with fewer corky warts. Leaves are lanceolate, smoother above, and usually entire or with few teeth. Fruit is orange-red to black, sweet and edible, ripening in fall. Fall color is yellow. The tree grows 50–70 feet tall with a spreading, rounded crown.

Culture and Habitat

Prefers moist, fertile soils of floodplains and riverbanks but adapts to drier, upland sites. Tolerates flooding, moderate drought, and urban conditions. Hardy in USDA zones 5–9. Fast-growing in youth. Less prone to nipple gall than C. occidentalis.

Uses

Shade tree, street tree, wildlife food source (fruit eaten by many birds and mammals), and naturalizing in wetland margins. Wood used for furniture, crates, and firewood.