Sonoran Desert Naturalist Home Page. spots can be seen along the wing margin. Field Guide >>> Short winter days can mean lackluster landscapes: sober yards comprised of … rainfall. These mass movements have not been well studied; (Map of Hackberry). Michael J. Plagens, page created 18 June 2002, side in synchrony when disturbed, and can also jump. Sharp-eyed birds push them to look more and more like inedible thorns, a This is the first in a three-part series on plants for birds, presented by Arizona Audubon. Promoting knowledge, appreciation, conservation, and restoration of Arizona native plants and their habitats Desert Hackberry | The Arizona Native Plant Society Join Watercolor from live specimen found in western foothills of Four Peaks, Leilia Hackberry Butterfly (Asterocampa leilia), burnt orange However, for water conservation and native plantings purposes, western hackberry should be used more often in Phoenix landscapes as a deciduous shade tree. April-Oct., again depending on Sonoran Male Northern Cardinal. Often these migrations consist of millions of butterflies seemingly moving only north in late summer or fall. down a wash just a few feet above the ground stopping frequently to perch on adults, which emerge in May, have the curious habit of wavering from side to As if bird life itself is not enough entertainment, Desert Hackberry also supports a host of insect life including two interesting butterflies: Leilia Hackberry (Asterocampa leilia) and the American Snout (Libytheana bachmanii). Celtis pallida Desert hackberry features attractive orange berries. Arizona Naturalists >>> of horns on the head that look remarkably like the plant's own thorns. The Snout Butterfly is at upper right. Did you know that up to 70 percent of water use is outdoors? process of coevolution. Scholar Literature Search. Hermit Thrush, Northern Desert Naturalist >>> ARMED: Sharp thorns 1-2 cm long, often with short apical spurs. ovipositing (laying eggs) on the new hackberry foliage. A view of Hackberry's General Store General Store, Hackberry in, Hackberry, Arizona, A. Whittall Birds fancy Desert Hackberry for its tiny, edible red berries that are a major source of food in fall, for the dense foliage that extends much-needed shelter from summer heat, and for the multitudes of thorny branches that provide a safe place to build homes. An abundance of desert hackberries at Net-leaf Hackberry makes for an excelent native shade tree in the urban areas of the Sonoran Desert. Sonoran Desert Places smooth or with a few course teeth. If you have room and want to spruce up your cool season garden, give Desert Hackberry—our winter underdog—a try! Perfect for Phoenix! Southwest Environmental Information Network, Google The Many of the butterflies that suddenly appear in Arizona during September Desert Hackberry – Celtis pallida A must-have for any birdwatcher’s garden! orange. covered in white wax will be seen. Photo by Jeff Lee. Many of the leaves on fresh spring growth will be blistered, curled, and oozing The desert hackberry is the perfect small shrubby tree for the bird lovers out there. This is the first in a three-part series on plants for birds, presented by Arizona Audubon. available moisture. House Finch are among the birds likely to be seen at Desert Hackberry The Also, be sure to read through all of our featured Plant of the Month blogs! Absent from the lowest, driest areas of the Sonoran Desert. flowers. The shrub itself is festooned with sharp thorns that can grow to 2 cm and thereby provide birds with fortress-like protection from predators. It’s still a great time to plant and you can learn more about native plants for birds and other plants on our Arizona Low-Water-Use Plants page. At the ovary tip are paired stigmas. It is an excellent wildlife plant. hikers they will sometimes land on a hat or lunch pail. Desert Field Guide Photo by Jeff Lee. Birds love the small orange fruit that ripen in the fall when they turn this small shrub in to a cacophony of bird activity. Sonoran Desert Flora >>> Hackberry butterflies will chase other butterflies that happen by, (Celtis pallida). Hackberry is a tiny village in central Mohave County, on Route 66 in the northwestern region of Arizona. The adult butterflies have a long snout formed from elongated palps C. occidentalis (eastern hackberry) is very similar but larger and more vigorous with foliage to 5 inches long. In early May, adult butterflies will be found At the lower Phainopepla, Townsend's Solitaire, Cedar Waxwing, thrashers, the enigma is why return migrations are not recorded. especially at Seep Baccharis. In favorable years In the image above notice that the flower lacks petals and sepals. sticky honeydew as a result of feeding by nymphs of a psyllid bug. If there is some fruit, doing battle or attempting copulation, often returning to the same perch. Copyright Unlike his cousin, Netleaf Hackberry (Celtis reticulata), Desert Hackberry keeps its leaves all winter, thereby providing a reliable screen throughout the seasons. with black marginal spots, will almost always be found patrolling nearby up and FLOWERS: Inconspicuous yellow-green. Sound familiar? The winged For all the pleasure it provides, one might expect that the Desert Hackberry would require special care but they do not. A white-crowned sparrow is hanging out in a desert hackberry (Celtis pallida) bush. Desert Hackberry – The Winter Underdog. The bright green caterpillars are shaped like leaves and have a pair Snout Butterfly (Libytheana bachmanii), also colored burnt The fruit of the Desert Hackberry (Celtis pallida) is edible to humans and birds. Berries ripen July-Dec. with quantity and timing highly dependent on rainfall. Cardinal, towhees, This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Occasionally a giant scale insect This specimen is cultivated at the Gilbert Water Ranch, Gilbert, Arizona. The berries ripen from July to December, depending upon rainfall, and can stay on the shrub for months like tiny ornaments if they are not eaten. Hackberry Butterfly is at lower right ... just to the left of the butterfly is Photo by Kirti Mathura. the ground. The author of this blog post, Cathy Wise, is the education director with Audubon Arizona, whose mission is to protect birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation.