The genus Celtis is composed of about 75 species native to the United States [7], Mexico and Central America [9], the northern temperate and tropical zones, and south Africa. The name celtis is the classical Latin name for a species of lotus.
Celtis laevigata* almez americano, American celtis, bagolaro americano, bois inconnu, connu, lowland hackberry, micocoulier a sucre, palo blanco, sockernasslatrad, southern hackberry, sugarberry, sugar hackberry, suikernetelboom, Texas sugarberry,
Celtis lindheimeri Lindheimer hackberry, palo blanco
Celtis occidentalis* almez occidental, American hackberry, bagolaro occidentale, bar-alm, bastard elm, beaverwood, bigleaf hackberry, common hackberry, false elm, hackberry, hacktree, hoop ash, huck, micocoulier occidental, nettletree, northern hackberry, oneberry, sugarberry, western hackberry, western netelboom, zwepenboom
Celtis reticulata* netleaf hackberry, palo blanco, sugarberry, thick leaved hackberry, western hackberry
Celtis tenuifolia dwarf hackberry, Georgia hackberry, upland hackberry
*commercial species
Distribution: The United States.The Tree: Hackberry trees can reach heights of 130 ft (40 m), with a diameter of 4 ft (1.2 m).
General Wood Characteristics: The sapwood of hackberry is pale yellow to grayish or greenish yellow, while the heartwood is a yellowish gray brown to light brown. The wood is straight grained, moderately hard, strong in bending, but weak in compression. It also has high shock resistance, but lacks stiffness; gluing properties are excellent.
Weighta
Weight
Moisture Specific lb/ft3 kg/m3
content gravity
Green 0.49 50 801
12% 0.53 37 593
Ovendry 0.56 NA NA
aReferences: specific gravity, green and
12%, (98); specific gravity, ovendry,
(59); weight, (50).
Mechanical propertiesa
Property Green Dry
MOE 0.95 106 6.550 GPa 1.19 106 8.205 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 6.50 103 44.818 MPa 11.0 103 76.535 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 2.65 103 18.272 MPa 5.44 103 37.509 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.40 103 2.758 MPa 0.89 103 6.137 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 14.5 99.978 kJ/m3 12.8 88.256
in-lbf/in3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
Hardness 700 lbf 3113.60 N 880 lbf 3914.24 N
Shear| | 1.07 103 7.377 MPa 1.59 103 10.963 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
aReference (98).
Drying and shrinkagea
Percentage of shrinkage
(green to final moisture
content)
Type of 0% MC 6% MC 20% MC
shrinkage
Tangential 8.9 7.1 3.0
Radial 4.8 3.8 1.6
Volumetric 13.8 13.5 5.6
a References: 0% MC, (98); 6% and 20%
MC, (90).
Kiln drying schedulea
4/4, 5/4, 8/4 10/4 12/4 16/4
Condition 6/4 stock stock stock stock
stock
Standard T8-C4 T6-C3 T6-C3 T5-C3 T3-B1
aReferences (6, 86).
Working Properties: Hackberry wood planes and turns well. It is intermediate in its ability to hold nails and screws; it resists splitting from screws better than from nails.
Durability: Rated as slightly or nonresistant to heartwood decay.
Preservation: No information available at this time.
Uses: Furniture, millwork, sporting and athletic goods, boxes and crates, veneer and plywood.
Toxicity: No information available at this time.
Additional Reading: 29, 55, 68, 74, 87. 55, 66, 68, 74, 79. 28, 29, 42, 43, 44, 48, 50, 55, 56, 68, 72, 73, 74, 79, 92, 97, 102. 74, 75, 77, 99, 106. 101.