Is a Hackberry Tree Worth Keeping?
A healthy hackberry growing in open space, away from the house, with little mistletoe is worth keeping. A hackberry that came up against a foundation, fence or driveway, or one loaded with mistletoe, split, or hollowing out, is usually better removed before it causes damage.
Where They Come From
Most hackberries around San Marcos were never planted. Birds eat the small berries and drop the seeds wherever they perch, so hackberries come up along fences, under power lines, beside air conditioners and in the gap between a house and a fence. The common species here is sugarberry, a native that grows fast and tolerates almost anything: drought, poor soil, compacted ground.
That toughness is why there are so many of them, and why many end up in the wrong place.
What Hackberries Are Good For
They're not worthless trees, whatever some people say.
- Fast shade. A hackberry can shade a yard in a few years where an oak would take decades.
- Wildlife. Birds eat the berries through fall and winter, and hackberries are host plants for several butterflies, including the hackberry emperor.
- Toughness. They survive heat, drought and poor soil that would kill fussier trees.
In a back corner of a large lot, a sound hackberry can be a useful shade tree for a long time.
Where They Cause Trouble
Location. The biggest problem is where they grow. A hackberry that sprouted a foot from the foundation or the fence will eventually push on it. One growing under a power line will need repeated trimming.
Mistletoe. Hackberries are one of the favorite hosts for mistletoe in Central Texas. A heavy load weakens limbs and the whole tree over time. Mistletoe in hackberries and cedar elms
Decay and weak unions. Many older hackberries develop decay in the trunk and large limbs, and fast-grown trees with multiple stems often have weak forks. Big limbs can break in storms, especially from trees that grew up crowded along a fence line.
Messiness. Berries, leaves and sticky honeydew from insects can drip onto cars and patios.
Galls. Small bumps on the leaves, caused by tiny insects, are common. They look alarming but are mostly cosmetic.
Questions to Decide
Walk out and look at the tree with these in mind:
- How close is it to the house, fence, driveway, septic lines or power lines? Within a few feet of structures is a strong reason to remove it while it's small.
- Is it full of mistletoe? A few clumps can be pruned. Clumps throughout the crown suggest removal.
- Is the trunk sound? Look for cavities, cracks, soft wood, mushrooms at the base, or dead major limbs.
- Does it fork into two equal stems with a tight V? That's a common breaking point.
- Would you miss the shade? If yes and the tree is sound and well placed, keep it and take care of it.
If You Keep It
- Prune out mistletoe in winter
- Remove dead wood and thin crowded stems
- Keep string trimmers and mowers away from the trunk
- Have it looked at after major storms
If You Remove It
Small hackberries along a fence come out easily. Larger ones near a house or garage get taken down in sections. After removal, grind the stump. Hackberries sprout from roots and stumps, and grinding plus cutting any sprouts that pop up for a season or two finishes the job. Stump grinding
If shade was the reason you kept it, replace it with something longer-lived planted in a better spot, like a cedar elm, bur oak or chinkapin oak.
Getting It Done
Tree removal covers how hackberries and other trees near houses come down safely.