THE HACKBERRY OR SUGARBERRY 



THE Hackberry is a tree with a very wide range, and with great variations in the 

 different parts of its range. It is found as a native from Massachusetts, Ontario, 

 and Nebraska, south to Florida, Missouri, and Texas, and occasionally even 

 west of the Rocky Mountains, although in the latter region it is generally a shrubby tree of 

 quite different appearance. In the lower parts of the Mississippi Valley it attains a size 

 and dignity comparable to that of the American Elm, reaching a height of more than a 

 hundred feet and a trunk diameter of two or three feet. The species belongs to the Elm 

 family, and in these magnificent trees the relationship is readily credited. In most regions, 

 however, the Hackberry is more likely to be found as a much smaller tree, or even as a 

 shrub, and the presence of purplish berry-like fruits, as well as the very irregular character 

 of the branches, give a very different appearance from that given by the Elms. The small 

 greenish flowers appear in May upon the young shoots when the leaves are just beginning 

 to develop, the condition being well shown in the upper left-hand picture of the plate. 

 The pollen-bearing and the seed-bearing flowers are generally separated, the former being 

 borne in clusters along the base of the young shoots, while the latter are borne singly in 

 the axils of the young leaves. In due time each of the latter develops into a long-stemmed 

 berry, two of which are shown in the right-hand picture of the plate. The slender, pointed 

 leaves with their beautiful serrated margins are generally larger on one side than on the 

 other, a condition suggestive of the leaves of the Elm. 



The Hackberry trees are rather decorative at almost any season of the year, and 

 may occasionally be planted in parks and ornamental grounds to decided advantage. 

 They are hardy in the Northern States but are likely to be erratic in their growth, so that 

 they serve better for planting singly or in small, irregular groups than for planting in rows 

 where a uniform growth is desired. The picturesque appearance of the tree in winter is 

 shown in the specimen illustrated on the plate. The trunks and larger branches often 

 have a characteristic warty bark which is very likely to attract attention. 



The Hackberry is not very often planted for shade or ornament in the Eastern 

 States, though it thrives well there and is of interest on account of its habit of growth and 

 comparative rarity. It is especially valuable however in the partially arid regions of the 

 West where its great ability to withstand drouth renders it one of the few trees that can 

 be grown at all. The young trees are readily raised from seeds. 



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