Is Hackberry A Hardwood

The wood is straight grained moderately hard strong in bending but weak in compression.

Is hackberry a hardwood.

Celtis occidentalis commonly known as the common hackberry is a large deciduous tree native to north america. Used in inexpensive furniture where a light colored. Hackberry might not be the best firewood you can find but it is far from the worst. Hackberry wood has an irregular grain that can sometimes be straight or interlocking and has a fine uniform texture.

This makes it a very popular hardwood for this specific purpose. Hackberry trees can reach heights of 130 feet and 4 foot diameter. Expect to pay about 1 50 per board foot or less. But local mills within hackberry s range carry it and large hardwood suppliers can special order the wood.

In fact it will work wonders for many individuals. It is also known as the nettletree sugarberry beaverwood northern hackberry and american hackberry. Hackberry is planted as a street tree in midwestern cities because of its tolerance to a wide range of soil and moisture conditions. The sapwood of hackberry is pale yellow to grayish or greenish yellow while the heartwood is a yellowish gray brown to light brown.

Although hackberry s commercial volume has steadily risen over the years don t expect to find it at a typical retail outlet. Its btus fall short of prime hardwoods but hackberry logs rate higher on heat than most other soft wooded trees. Common hackberry sugarberry nettle tree beaverwood northern hackberry. Is hackberry good firewood.

The demand just isn t there yet. The common hackberry is easily distinguished from elms and. Hackberry celtis occidentalis is a medium size tree that originated in north america hackberry wood has little difference between sapwood and heartwood which is yellowish grey to light brown. First and foremost you should know that it is going to burn well.

There is little difference between sapwood and heartwood which is yellowish grey to light brown with yellow streaks. Not widely available outside its natural range hackberry is regularly harvested and sold as utility lumber at a modest price within its natural range. The proof is the coals which keep wood stoves burning reliably through cold nights. Hackberry has been reported to cause skin irritation.

On good bottomland soils it grows fast and may live to 20 years. Hackberry is closely related to sugarberry celtis laevigata and is a member of the elm family. Hackberry does shrink and swell in use when the humidity changes a little more than some hardwood species but not quite as much as oak or hard maple.