Western Hackberry

The Celtis Reticulata is commonly known as Hackberry, Netleaf Hackberry, Palo Blanco, Sugarberry, as well as Western Hackberry

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Growing Regions

Netleaf hackberry grows throughout scattered portions of the Great Basin, Pacific Northwest, and Southwest [44]. Its range extends from southern Nebraska south through central Kansas and Colorado into Texas and northern Mexico [46,63], westward to southern California, and north through Washington and Oregon into Idaho [23,46].

     

General Information

The scientific name of netleaf hackberry is Celtis reticulata Torr. [82]. Netleaf hackberry is a highly variable and taxonomically confusing species [41,63]. Hybridization is common within the genus Celtis and most species are poorly defined [23]. Intergrading forms and ecotypic variants are common [23]. Some authorities consider netleaf hackberry to be a variant of sugarberry (Celtis laevigata) and still others place it in synonymy with Douglas hackberry (C. douglasii) [63,73]. However, many taxonomists now regard it as a discrete species [73]. Netleaf hackberry readily hybridizes with sugarberry and populations with intermediate characteristics have been reported [74]. Some authorities delineate two forms of netleaf hackberry on the basis of leaf size [63]. Still others recognize many intergrading forms [33]. According to Kearney and others [41], "it is highly probable that more than one species is included ... as Celtis reticulata, but pending thorough revision of North American species of Celtis, no other treatment seems practicable." Biosystematic revision has been suggested for the tribe Celteae [23].

Netleaf hackberry grows as an overstory dominant or codominant in a
number of communities, including riparian woodlands of the Southwest and
narrow gallery forests of eastern Washington and west-central Idaho.
Common codominants include live oak (Quercus virginiana), cedar elm
(Ulmus crassifolia), cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), bluebunch wheatgrass
(Pseudoroegneria spicata), and sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus).
Published classifications listing netleaf hackberry as a dominant or
indicator in community types (cts), habitat types (hts), or plant
associations (pas) are presented below.

Area                    Classification            Authority

w-c ID                  grassland and shrubland   Tisdale 1986b
                        hts, cts
w-c ID, e WA            riparian cts              Miller and Johnson 1986
OK                      western oak cts           Dooley and Collins 1984
OR, ID: Wallowa         general veg. pas          Johnson and Simon 1987
e WA, n ID              steppe hts                Daubenmire 1970a

• More Western Hackberry Information

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