Northern Hackberry

Celtis occidentalis

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Polygonia interrogationis, Nymphalis antiopa, Orgyia definita, Euclea delphinii, Lophocampa caryae, Automeris io, Hyalophora cecropia, Orgyia leucostigma, Catocala sordida, Polygonia comma, Digrammia continuata, Sphinx drupiferarum
S13+S15 12 verified Eastern NA
❄️ Winter Food Source: Persistent drupes remain on branches from September through early spring, providing critical winter food for American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Cedar Waxwing, and other overwintering birds. Fox Squirrel and Northern Flying Squirrel also consume the fruit.
S57 8 bird species; S41 fruit remains on tree until following spring; S10 fruits eaten by various birds

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Ranked S3 (Vulnerable) in Quebec, where it reaches the northern edge of its range; S4 (Apparently Secure) in Ontario. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. In the Outaouais, the species is sparse but persistent along calcareous floodplains and river terraces.
S22 S3 QC, S4 ON; S26 not SARA listed; S63 Sparse in Ottawa-Hull
Rarity Ranks: QC S3 – Vulnerable, ON S4 – Apparently Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Hackberry occupies floodplain forests, stream banks, and rocky hillsides, frequently on limestone or calcareous soils in the Ottawa Valley. In the Outaouais it occurs as a sparse component of sugar maple-basswood and elm-ash floodplain communities, reaching the northern limit of its range. Tolerant of drought and periodic flooding, it fills a mid-successional niche on well-drained alluvial terraces.
S41 bottom-land tree on limestone soils; S7 river banks, stream valleys, rich moist forests; S61 forests, riparian terraces, high-pH soils; S63 Sparse in Ottawa-Hull

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 7-2, pp. 116)]
Notes: Hackberry serves as a canopy-layer wildlife habitat tree in permaculture guilds, providing persistent fruit for birds and hosting 31+ lepidoptera species. Its tolerance of drought and alkaline soils makes it valuable on calcareous sites where many other canopy trees struggle. The broad crown offers moderate summer shade for understory layers.
S72 Table 7-2 wildlife habitat; S29 Food Forest canopy; S41 drought resistant, limestone soils

Category: Throat Aid, Gynecological Aid, Abortifacient, Cold Remedy, Venereal Aid, Veterinary Aid
S28 Moerman Drug categories: Throat Aid (Houma), Venereal Aid (Houma), Abortifacient (Iroquois), Cold Remedy (Iroquois), Gynecological Aid (Iroquois), Veterinary Aid (Meskwaki)
Notes: Houma used bark decoction for sore throats and, combined with powdered shells, for venereal disease. Iroquois used bark decoction for suppressed menses and as a cold remedy for women. Meskwaki fed inner bark to ponies as a conditioner. PFAF also notes wood extract used historically for jaundice.
S28 6 Moerman drug uses; S29 bark decoction for sore throats, jaundice

✅ Edible

Foraging Notes: Fruit was used extensively by Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains: Dakota dried and pounded the berries as a spice for seasoning meat; Kiowa molded the paste onto sticks and baked it over fire; Pawnee mixed pounded berries with fat and parched corn; Meskwaki ground hard berries into mush. The thin, sweet flesh has a date-like flavour but surrounds a large bony seed, making it a fiddly crop by modern standards.
S28 7 Moerman food uses; S29 Edibility Rating 3/5, fruit raw or for jellies