Other than New Mexico locust trees and chokecherry shrubs, which reproduce by both seed and suckering, hackberries are among the most common trees on our Littleton farm. Their small berries are eaten by songbirds and small mammals alike, providing a reliable means of seed dispersal.
Represented by numerous species across the Northern Hemisphere, hackberry trees tolerate a wide range of soil conditions though they are most common on floodplains and have long been used to stabilize river banks. Species found in Western North America are drought tolerant, explaining their ease of propagation on our property. Their relatively soft wood has proven to be of little value for construction purposes and these trees, which usually grow in mixed woodlands, have been primarily harvested for firewood.
Though not especially attractive (their rough leaves often harbor insect galls) and generally of modest height in the West, hackberries offer maintenance-free greenery and food for a large variety of wildlife. What better colonizer to host in this semi-arid environment?
Represented by numerous species across the Northern Hemisphere, hackberry trees tolerate a wide range of soil conditions though they are most common on floodplains and have long been used to stabilize river banks. Species found in Western North America are drought tolerant, explaining their ease of propagation on our property. Their relatively soft wood has proven to be of little value for construction purposes and these trees, which usually grow in mixed woodlands, have been primarily harvested for firewood.
Though not especially attractive (their rough leaves often harbor insect galls) and generally of modest height in the West, hackberries offer maintenance-free greenery and food for a large variety of wildlife. What better colonizer to host in this semi-arid environment?
