Native to Europe, Canada, North America, and South America.
Northern hackberry, Celtis occidentalis, is a shrub or tree that grows up to 100 feet tall. The leaves are oval or lanceolate with sharply pointed tips. The bark is rough, forming ridges, and is grayish-brown in color. This flowering tree has oval fruits that are dark red or purple. This species is extensive across the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. It is usually found growing in moist conditions along streams or in flood plains in full-sun. Northern hackberries tolerate somewhat poor conditions, such as wind and drought conditions.
Hackberry has been used as an ornamental tree and in multi-row windbreaks. It is commonly used as an street tree not for its appearance but its tolerance to drought, low soil moisture, and poor soil conditions. It can also be used ornamentally as a bonsai species.