Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Canyon Hackberry
Canyon hackberry, also called netleaf hackberry, is a long-lived native shade tree that grows wild along canyons and washes. It has rough, dark green leaves, smooth gray bark and small orange-red berries in fall that birds love.
It takes full sun and reflected heat, handles cold far below zero, and drops its leaves in winter. Deep summer watering keeps it looking its best.
Best for: native shade trees, wildlife yards, open areas and larger lots, and desert restoration plantings.
It grows into a shade tree about 25 to 50 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide. It drops its leaves in winter, letting sun through when you want it.
Small orange-red berries ripen in fall, and birds and other wildlife eat them. Plant it where you can watch the birds.
It takes full sun and reflected heat, poor soil and drought. Give it room, and plant trees at least 20 feet apart.
It gets big, so it is not for small yards. Extreme summer heat can scorch some leaves, and young trees need pruning to form a good canopy.
- Shade trees in a row20 ft apart
- Open grove20 ft or more apart
Water a new tree every 1 to 2 days in summer, or every 3 to 4 days in cooler months, for the first two weeks. Then stretch it out to about weekly in summer by the second month.
Once rooted, give it infrequent but deep soaks in summer, at the edge of the canopy. It needs much less water in winter.
Raise the canopy a little each year to the height you need. Young trees grow irregular branches and need training into a good shape.
Drops its leaves in winter and leafs out again in spring.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does canyon hackberry get?
It grows about 25 to 50 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide. Plant it at least 20 feet from other trees and well away from the house.
Does canyon hackberry lose its leaves?
Yes. It drops its leaves in winter, so it gives summer shade and lets winter sun through.
How often should I water canyon hackberry?
Water a new tree often at first, then stretch it out over the first months. Once rooted, give it infrequent but deep soaks in summer.
Is canyon hackberry native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild along canyons and washes across much of the western United States into northern Mexico.
Do birds eat hackberry berries?
Yes. The small orange-red berries ripen in fall and are a favorite food for birds. Butterflies and other wildlife use the tree too. Plant it where you can enjoy the visitors.
How do I prune canyon hackberry?
Raise the canopy gradually to the height you need, and prune a little each year to shape it. Young trees grow irregular and need training.
How cold hardy is canyon hackberry?
It is rated to about -20°F, far colder than the Valley gets.
What soil does it need?
It grows in most soils, including alkaline and rocky soil, as long as water drains away.
Can canyon hackberry bother allergies?
Yes. Its pollen can bother people with allergies.
Is canyon hackberry messy?
It drops its leaves in fall and its small berries in season, so expect some cleanup under it.
Canyon Hackberry for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Canyon hackberry is a native tree that gives summer shade and feeds birds in fall. This page covers size, spacing, watering, pruning and wildlife.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Canyon hackberry in Arizona
Canyon hackberry is a native shade tree with rough green leaves and orange-red berries that birds love.
Canyon hackberry size
It grows about 25 to 50 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide.
How far apart to plant hackberry
Plant trees at least 20 feet apart.
Watering canyon hackberry
Once rooted, give it infrequent but deep soaks in summer.
Hackberry for birds
Its small orange-red berries ripen in fall and feed birds and other wildlife.
Pruning canyon hackberry
Raise the canopy gradually and prune a little each year to shape it.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.