// SPECIES PROFILE · TREE · NATIVE · WILDLIFE KEYSTONE

Sugarberry

Celtis laevigata

Sugarberry is the smooth-barked southern cousin of the familiar Common Hackberry — a medium to large bottomland tree that lines the alluvial terraces and stream banks of NE Oklahoma's major river systems. Unlike its warty-barked relative Celtis occidentalis, Sugarberry's trunk is smooth and pale gray, often developing a distinctive mottled, almost beech-like appearance with age. It produces a heavy crop of small, sweet, orange-red drupes each fall that persist on the branches deep into winter — a larder that proves critical to cedar waxwings, mockingbirds, robins, and at least twenty other bird species when snow covers the ground. As a larval host for the hackberry emperor, tawny emperor, and question mark butterflies, a Sugarberry on your property is not merely a shade tree; it is a wildlife engine operating across three trophic levels.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Cannabaceae (hemp / hackberry family)
Life cycle: Deciduous perennial tree; long-lived (75–150 years)
Native range: Southeastern & south-central US; in OK from the Red River north to the Arkansas River basin
USDA hardiness: Zones 5–9 (Tulsa = 7a/7b, well within range)
Mature size: 50–80 ft tall; 30–50 ft spread; trunk diameter 1–3 ft
Bloom: March – April; small, greenish, wind-pollinated flowers appear with new leaves
Fruit color: Orange-red to dark purple drupe, ¼–⅜ in diameter; matures September–October
Sun: Full sun to light shade; best growth and fruit set in full sun
Soil: Moist, well-drained alluvial soils preferred; tolerates clay, sand, and compacted urban soils
Water: Medium to wet; tolerates seasonal flooding and brief drought once established
Wildlife: Winter fruit for cedar waxwings, robins, mockingbirds, 20+ spp. · larval host for 3 butterfly spp.
Conservation status: G5 — Secure globally; common throughout its range

Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata) mature tree with smooth pale gray bark and spreading canopy — *Celtis laevigata* in a NE Oklahoma bottomland — note the smooth, pale-gray bark utterly unlike the warty bark of Common Hackberry. Photo: Rooted Revival.

Identification

[ field key — bark · leaf · flower · fruit · comparison to common hackberry ]

Habit & Bark

Medium to large deciduous tree with a broad, rounded to vase-shaped crown. The trunk is straight in forest-grown specimens, often shorter and more spreading in the open. Bark is the single best field mark: smooth, pale gray to almost white, sometimes with corky ridges or warts only at the very base of old trunks — never the conspicuous, warty-corky bark that covers the entire trunk of Common Hackberry (C. occidentalis). On mature Sugarberry, the smooth bark may develop a fine network of shallow fissures but remains predominantly clean and pale, reminiscent of American Beech.

Leaves

Alternate, simple, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 2–5 in long, with a characteristically asymmetrical base (one side of the leaf blade attaches lower on the midrib than the other — an obliquely cordate base, shared with all Celtis species). Margins are mostly entire or with a few scattered, shallow teeth near the apex, unlike Common Hackberry leaves which are more consistently serrated from base to tip. Upper surface is smooth and medium green; lower surface is paler with prominent veins and often fine hairs along the midrib. Fall color is a soft, unremarkable yellow.

Flowers

Inconspicuous, small, greenish, wind-pollinated flowers appear in early spring (March–April in NE Oklahoma) with the emerging leaves. Flowers are monecious (separate male and female flowers on the same tree) or sometimes polygamo-monoecious (perfect flowers also present), borne singly or in small clusters in the leaf axils of new growth. They are of little ornamental interest but are visited by small bees and flies seeking early-season pollen. The species is not a significant spring pollen source for honey bees but does provide forage for native solitary bees.

Fruit & Seed

The fruit is a small, spherical drupe, ¼–⅜ in in diameter, ripening from green to orange-red and eventually dark reddish-purple by late September through October. Each drupe contains a single, hard, round seed within a thin layer of sweet, date-like flesh. The fruit persists on the tree well into winter (December–February), a trait that makes Sugarberry one of the most valuable emergency food sources for frugivorous birds in NE Oklahoma when other fruits have long since been consumed. The flavor is mildly sweet and the fruits are edible raw by humans, though the seed dominates the volume and the flesh is sparse — better left for the birds.

Telling Sugarberry from Common Hackberry: In NE Oklahoma both species occur, and their ranges overlap. The quickest field distinction is bark: Sugarberry bark is smooth, pale gray; Common Hackberry bark is roughened with prominent corky ridges and warts that extend well up the trunk. Leaf margins are another clue: Sugarberry leaves are mostly entire (smooth-edged) or sparsely toothed only near the tip; Common Hackberry leaves are strongly serrate from base to apex. Habitat also differs: Sugarberry is a bottomland specialist; Common Hackberry is more upland-tolerant and often found on drier limestone sites.

Habitat & Range in NE Oklahoma

Celtis laevigata is a tree of the southeastern and south-central United States, ranging from Virginia and Florida west to Texas and southern Oklahoma, with scattered populations north into Missouri and southern Illinois. In Oklahoma, Sugarberry is most abundant in the eastern and southern portions of the state, reaching the northwestern edge of its range roughly along a line from McCurtain County through the Arkansas River valley into Tulsa, Osage, and Pawnee Counties.

In NE Oklahoma, you will find Sugarberry on the rich alluvial soils of bottomland forests, stream terraces, and floodplain woods along the Arkansas River, Verdigris River, Grand (Neosho) River, and their major tributaries. It is a consistent component of the bottomland hardwood community in these systems, growing alongside Sycamore, Pecan, Eastern Cottonwood, Black Walnut, and Green Ash. It extends up into the lower slopes of the Cross Timbers where moisture is available on north-facing aspects and in seepage areas. In the Ozark foothills of far northeastern Oklahoma (Delaware and Ottawa Counties) it occurs on moist, sheltered limestone terraces.

Sugarberry is more common in the southern and eastern parts of Oklahoma than in the central or western regions, but the species' tolerance of urban conditions, compacted soil, and seasonal flooding makes it an excellent choice for street trees and park plantings throughout the Tulsa metropolitan area — where it is, somewhat surprisingly, underused compared to the rougher Common Hackberry.

Ecology & Wildlife Value

[ Lepidoptera host · winter bird fruit · specialist insects · bottomland ecology ]

Lepidoptera Host

Sugarberry is a larval host plant for at least three butterfly species in NE Oklahoma. The Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis) and Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton) both lay eggs on Celtis foliage; their caterpillars are gregarious when young and overwinter in groups inside rolled, dead leaves on the ground. The Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) also uses hackberries and sugarberries as a larval host, alongside elms and nettles. The American Snout (Libytheana carinenta) occasionally uses Celtis species as well, though it prefers true hackberry (C. occidentalis) in our region. Several moth species in the genera Automeris and Patalene feed on hackberry foliage.

Winter Bird Fruit

The persistent winter fruit of Sugarberry is a critical cold-season food resource for frugivorous birds in NE Oklahoma. Cedar waxwings descend on Sugarberry in large, nomadic winter flocks and can strip a tree of fruit in a matter of days. Northern mockingbirds defend individual trees as winter territories. American robins switch from earthworms to Sugarberry drupes when the ground freezes. Other regular consumers include Northern flicker, yellow-bellied sapsucker, Eastern bluebird, hermit thrush, brown thrasher, and at least a dozen other species. Because the fruit clings to branches long after most other wild fruits have fallen or been consumed, Sugarberry acts as a winter famine food during ice storms and deep cold snaps.

Insects & Pollinators

Although wind-pollinated, Sugarberry flowers attract a modest collection of small, early-season pollinators including mining bees (Andrena spp.), small halictid bees, and various flies. More significantly, Celtis foliage supports a specialized guild of gall-forming psyllids (jumping plant lice) in the genus Pachypsylla, which create distinctive nipple-galls on the leaves. These galls are a nuisance to no one and feed a cascade of parasitoid wasps that, in turn, help regulate pest insects throughout the garden. The psyllids themselves are eaten by warblers, chickadees, and other insectivorous birds during spring migration.

Ecological Role

In bottomland forest systems, Sugarberry occupies the mid-canopy to sub-canopy layer, typically beneath taller cottonwoods, sycamores, and pecans. Its dense, fibrous root system helps stabilize stream banks and alluvial terraces against erosion during flood events on the Arkansas and Verdigris Rivers. The leaf litter is relatively high in calcium and decomposes readily, contributing to the rich, dark alluvial soils characteristic of NE Oklahoma bottomlands. Sugarberry also acts as a nurse tree in disturbed floodplain sites: its fast juvenile growth and tolerance of partial shade allow it to establish quickly on sandbars and slough edges, creating conditions that facilitate the slower recruitment of oak, hickory, and pecan.

Horticulture & Care

[ site selection · planting · care · pest/disease · companion design ]

Site selection

Sugarberry is a forgiving tree. Select a site with full sun to light shade and adequate room for a 50–80 ft tree with a broad crown. It performs best on deep, moist, alluvial soils but is remarkably adaptable to the heavy red clay common in the Tulsa region, provided drainage is at least moderate. Because it tolerates compacted soil, urban pollution, and occasional flooding, Sugarberry is an excellent choice for street tree plantings, park settings, and the lower, wetter portions of a residential lot where other large native trees (oaks, hickories) might struggle. Avoid planting directly over underground utilities, as with any large tree; the root system is extensive but not notorious for lifting sidewalks.

Planting

When: Container-grown trees can be planted any time the ground is workable, but fall (October–November) or early spring (March) are ideal in NE Oklahoma.
Hole: Dig 2–3× the width of the root ball and no deeper than the root collar. Do not amend the backfill heavily; Sugarberry establishes best in native soil.
Mulch: Apply a 2–4 in layer of hardwood mulch in a 4–6 ft ring around the base, keeping it pulled back 4–6 in from the trunk to prevent rot.
Water: Water deeply at planting and weekly during the first growing season (roughly 10–15 gallons per week during dry spells). Once established (2–3 years), supplemental watering is rarely needed except in extreme drought.
Staking: Stake only if the site is exposed to persistent wind; use broad, flexible ties and remove after 12–18 months.

Care & maintenance

Established Sugarberries are among the lowest-maintenance native shade trees for NE Oklahoma. Annual tasks are minimal:

Pruning: Prune in late winter (February) while the tree is fully dormant. Remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches. Sugarberry naturally develops good structure and rarely needs corrective pruning beyond the juvenile years. The species compartmentalizes wounds well and is not prone to major decay.
Fertilization: Generally unnecessary on decent soil; on very poor sites, a light application of compost around the drip line in spring is sufficient.
Leaf litter: Sugarberry leaves are medium-sized and decompose quickly; they can be left in place as natural mulch or raked into perennial beds.

Pests & diseases

Nipple gall psyllids (Pachypsylla spp.) — small, raised bumps on leaves. Cosmetic only; do not affect tree health. The insects they support feed songbirds.
Hackberry woolly aphid (Shivaphis celti) — produces sticky honeydew that can coat surfaces beneath the tree. Seldom severe enough to warrant treatment; a strong jet of water knocks down populations.
Powdery mildew — white coating on leaves in late summer during humid years. Not harmful; the tree drops leaves normally in fall.
Mistletoe (Phoradendron spp.) — the same native parasitic plant that infests Pecan and Western Soapberry can colonize Sugarberry. Prune out infected branches if the load becomes heavy.
Witches' broom — dense clusters of twigs caused by a combination of powdery mildew fungi and eriophyid mites. Common but rarely problematic on Sugarberry. Prune out if unsightly.

Companion planting in a food forest or landscape

As a bottomland canopy tree, Sugarberry pairs well with other moisture-tolerant natives. In a riparian buffer or rain garden backdrop, plant it with Buttonbush, Winterberry, Rose Mallow, and Inland Sea Oats in the shrub and herbaceous layers. In a larger food forest context, Sugarberry works in the canopy layer above Pawpaw, Spicebush, American Elderberry, and Rusty Blackhaw. Its light shade is less dense than an oak's, allowing productive understory planting. For a wildlife-focused "bird garden" composition, plant Sugarberry together with Common Hackberry (extending the fruit season earlier and later), American Persimmon, Sassafras, and Roughleaf Dogwood — this combination feeds fruit-eating birds from August through March.

Edible & Cultural Uses

The fruits of Sugarberry are edible to humans — small, sweet, and date-like in flavor, with a single hard seed that makes up most of the drupe's volume. They can be eaten raw directly from the tree in fall, though the ratio of flesh to seed is poor. Indigenous peoples of the southeastern US, including the Creek (Muscogee), Choctaw, and Seminole, used hackberry and sugarberry fruits as a minor food source, often pounding the whole drupes into a paste (seed included) that was mixed with fat or cornmeal and formed into cakes. The seeds were sometimes extracted and ground separately, though this is labor-intensive for the caloric return.

The wood of Sugarberry is moderately heavy, close-grained, and pale yellow — similar to Common Hackberry but somewhat softer. Historically it was used for fence posts, furniture, and barrel hoops, and more recently for pallets and inexpensive millwork. Unlike Common Hackberry, Sugarberry wood was rarely used for flooring due to its slightly softer character. The bark and leaves have been used in traditional medicine by several southeastern tribes as a topical astringent and a treatment for sore throat.

Not the same as Common Hackberry. If you are familiar with the rough, warty-barked Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) and find it unattractive, do not write off its smooth-barked southern cousin. Sugarberry offers all the same wildlife benefits — winter bird fruit, butterfly host services, urban toughness — in a package that is significantly more ornamental, with a clean, pale-gray trunk that reads as refined rather than rustic. In the horticultural trade, Sugarberry is widely considered the better-looking tree for residential landscapes.

Photo Reference

Sources & Further Reading

USDA NRCS PLANTS Database — Celtis laevigata: plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/CELA
USDA NRCS Plant Guide — Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata), National Plant Data Center.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center — Native Plant Database: wildflower.org — CELA
Hoagland, B.W. et al. (2004). Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory — Woody Plants of Oklahoma. ONHI, University of Oklahoma.
Burns, R.M. & Honkala, B.H. (1990). Silvics of North America, Vol. 2: Hardwoods. USDA Forest Service Agricultural Handbook 654 — Celtis laevigata entry.
Tyrl, R.J. et al. (2008). Field Guide to Oklahoma Plants. Oklahoma State University.
Scott, J.A. (1986). The Butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press — Asterocampa and Polygonia host plant records.
Tallamy, D.W. (2007). Bringing Nature Home. Timber Press — Celtis as keystone Lepidoptera host genus in the eastern US.
Wikipedia — Celtis laevigata: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtis_laevigata (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Hero photo: Rooted Revival. Strip photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributors under their respective licenses (linked under each image).