Hackberry
Hackberry (Celtis reticulata)
Shrub or small tree with rough bark and orange-red berries. Desert Hackberry is one of the most important wildlife shrubs in the arid Southwest — a species that provides food, cover, and nesting habitat for a remarkable diversity of birds, mammals, and invertebrates. Its small, orange-red to dark red berries ripen through the summer and fall, creating a dependable food source in the harsh desert environment when many other fruiting plants are dormant.
Ecology: Fruits feed birds; host plant for butterfly larvae.
Fast Facts
- Produces small fleshy berries eaten by birds and mammals — important winter/late-season food and seed dispersal source.
- Leaves host caterpillars and other insects (important food for nesting birds); trees provide light shade and roosting/nesting structure.
- Tolerant of rocky, dry soils—acts as an ecological bridge between upland and riparian habitats.
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