Difference Between Hackberry & Sugarberry

Culture

• Both species tolerate a wide range of growing sites including full sun, partial sun or partial shade. Both are also highly adaptable to different soils, although sugarberry is highly sensitive to alkaline soils. Hackberry typically grows in moist bottomlands, but will tolerate drier locations including those with slightly acidic or slightly alkaline, sandy or clay soils. Hackberry prefers growing locations in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9; sugarberry is a warmer-climate-loving species that prefers USDA zones 5 through 10.

Size

• Size isn't much different between the common hackberry and the sugarberry, although a slight difference exists. The common hackberry grows 45 to 80 feet tall and has a crown spread of 40 to 50 feet. The sugarberry grows 50 to 70 feet tall and spreads 50 to 60 feet. Both have an open, rounded vase-shaped crown at maturity.

Leaves and Bark

• In general, the leaves of these two species are similar, but those of the hackberry are wider -- up to 2 1/2 inches wide -- and more deeply serrated than those of the sugarberry. The leaves of both are alternately arranged, simple, serrated and ovate; the sugarberry's leaves are more lancelike. Both species have characteristic warty structures lining the trunk. Color is typically light gray in hackberry, although sugarberry may be silver-gray to grayish-brown. Both trees have inconspicuous, small, dark berries that are favored by native birds.

Uses

• The hackberry is more widely available than the sugarberry throughout each species' natural range. The sugarberry is available only in small numbers. This could be due to the fact that sugarberry doesn't take well to injury and is highly susceptible to trunk and root rots when injury occurs. Both trees are ideal for shade trees, in medians or buffer strips.