Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Desert Hackberry
Desert Hackberry is a dense Arizona native shrub that birds use for food, shelter and nesting. Cardinals, quail and cedar waxwings come for the small orange berries, which people can eat too. It keeps most of its small green leaves through winter, so it works as a year-round screen. Once rooted in, it gets by on very little water.
Best for: a bird and butterfly garden, a dense native screen along a property line, or a barrier planting in a natural desert yard.
The orange berries ripen from late summer into fall and feed cardinals, quail and cedar waxwings. The dense branches give birds a safe place to rest and nest. Give it 8 to 12 feet to spread so it fills out fully.
It keeps most of its leaves through winter. Plant 8 to 10 feet apart along a wall or fence line and the branches knit into a dense, natural screen about 6 to 10 feet tall.
The leaves feed the caterpillars of the Empress Leilia and American Snout butterflies. Bees work the small spring flowers, and the berries follow for the birds.
The zigzag branches carry sharp thorns up to about an inch long. It grows slowly on little water. In too much shade it gets leggy, and in a hard drought it can drop leaves.
- Screen with branches meeting8-10 ft apart
- Full-size single shrub12 ft apart
Water every 1 to 2 days in summer, or every 3 to 4 days in cooler months, for the first two weeks. Then stretch the gaps step by step, to about weekly in summer or every 10 to 14 days in cooler months, by the second month. After that, keep lengthening the time between waterings as it roots in.
Water deeply about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer and about monthly in spring and fall. In winter it needs little or no water. It can live on much less, but extra summer water makes it grow fuller and faster.
Plan for its full 8 to 12 foot width when you plant it. Given that room, it needs very little pruning.
You can skip the fertilizer, since it grows in poor desert soil without feeding. Pests and diseases are rarely a problem.
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.
Is desert hackberry good for birds?
Yes. Cardinals, quail and cedar waxwings eat the berries. The dense, thorny branches also give birds cover from predators and safe places to nest.
Are desert hackberry berries edible?
Yes. The small orange berries are edible for people as well as birds. They are mildly sweet with one large seed, and they ripen from late summer into fall.
How big does desert hackberry get?
Most grow about 6 to 10 feet tall and 8 to 12 feet wide, often wider than tall. With extra water it can grow up to 15 feet or more, so plan for its full size when you plant.
How fast does it grow?
It grows slowly and lives a long time. Extra summer water speeds it up a lot, so water more if you want a screen to fill in sooner.
Does desert hackberry keep its leaves in winter?
It keeps most of its leaves through winter, so it screens all year. In a hard drought or a cold snap it can drop some leaves, and a deep summer watering helps it hold them.
How much water does it need?
It needs very little water once it is rooted, and it can be weaned off irrigation. For a fuller, faster screen, water it deeply every 2 to 3 weeks in summer.
Does desert hackberry have thorns?
Yes. The zigzag branches carry sharp thorns up to about an inch long. Plant it back from walks and play areas, and wear gloves when you work around it.
How cold hardy is desert hackberry?
It is hardy to about 10°F, which covers normal Valley winters. It needs no frost cover here.
Does it need pruning?
It needs very little pruning. Plan for its full 8 to 12 foot width when you plant it, and you can skip most trimming.
Does it need fertilizer or special soil?
No. Skip the fertilizer, since it grows in sand, loam or clay, including poor soil. Just make sure water drains away from the roots.
What is the difference between Desert Hackberry and Canyon Hackberry?
Desert Hackberry is a thorny shrub about 6 to 10 feet tall that keeps most leaves in winter. Canyon Hackberry is a thornless tree around 25 feet tall that drops its leaves in winter. Choose Desert Hackberry for a screen and Canyon Hackberry for shade.
Can desert hackberry bother allergies?
Yes, it can. Its pollen can bother people with allergies.
Desert Hackberry for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Desert Hackberry (Celtis pallida) is a native shrub of southern Arizona washes and slopes, planted for birds, berries and year-round cover. This page covers how big it gets, spacing for a screen, water, winter leaves and pruning. It also compares it with Canyon Hackberry, its larger tree cousin.
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.
Is desert hackberry a good plant for Arizona birds?
Yes. The orange berries feed cardinals, quail and winter visitors like cedar waxwings. The thick, thorny branches give them cover and nest sites.
How big does desert hackberry get?
Expect about 6 to 10 feet tall and 8 to 12 feet wide. It often grows wider than tall. With regular extra water it can get well past that, so plan for its full size when you plant.
How far apart do you plant desert hackberry for a screen?
For a screen where the branches meet, plant 8 to 10 feet apart center to center. For a full-size single shrub, allow about 12 feet. The spacing calculator on this page works out how many you need.
Is desert hackberry evergreen in Phoenix?
It keeps most of its small green leaves through winter, which is why it makes a year-round screen. A long dry spell or a hard freeze can make it drop some leaves.
Can you eat desert hackberry berries?
Yes. The small orange berries are edible raw and taste mildly sweet around one large seed. They ripen from late summer into fall.
How much water does desert hackberry need?
Very little once it is rooted in. It can be weaned off regular watering. Some extra summer water makes it grow faster, fuller and bigger.
Desert Hackberry vs Canyon Hackberry
Desert Hackberry is a thorny shrub around 6 to 10 feet that holds most leaves in winter. Canyon Hackberry is a thornless tree about 25 feet tall and wide that drops its leaves in winter. Both feed birds with small orange berries.
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