04/21/2026
“To be without trees would, in the most literal way, to be without our roots.”
— Richard Mabey
Sadly, some trees must be taken down to prevent future damage to a structure or another tree. This week we had to take down the hackberry tree, known as the “heart tree,” that has graced the lawn and appeared in many wedding photos. Unfortunately this tree was hollow at the trunk and in several other places, so it needed to come down, but we did save the heart! ❤️
A big thank you to the crew at Chipper’s Tree Service for a fantastic job! We highly recommend them:
https://www.facebook.com/share/17HL8Dchk6/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Common Hackberry, Northern Hackberry, American Hackberry, Nettle Tree, Beaverwood, False Elm
Ulmaceae (Elm Family)
The common hackberry is a 60-100 ft. deciduoustree, varying greatly in response to habitat. The broad crown is often erratic in shape. Tree with rounded crown of spreading or slightly drooping branches, often deformed as bushy growths called witches brooms. Older bark is covered with conspicuous, corky projections. The plant foliage is dull-green and rough. Its fall color is not impressive. Orange-brown to dark-purple berries are arranged in clusters.
Used for furniture, athletic goods, boxes and crates, and plywood. The common name apparently was derived from "hagberry," meaning "marsh berry," a name used in Scotland for a cherry. Many birds, including quail, pheasants, woodpeckers, and cedar waxwings, consume the sweetish fruits. Branches of this and other hackberries may become deformed due to bushy growths called witches'-brooms produced by mites and fungi. The leaves often bear rounded galls caused by tiny jumping plant lice.
For more information on hackberry trees please visit:
https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/celtis/occidentalis.htm
