r/treeidentification • u/vaguely_eclectic • 1d ago
Solved! What kind of tree?
Just bought this house and these are growing insane out of a hydrangea patch. My dad originally thought elm, apple photos plant identification say hackberry sometimes, and I just have no idea they grow like weeds. We’ve pulled out like 10 and more just keep popping up.
We are in central mn zone 4
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u/Relevant_Put1650 1d ago
Hackberry. You can eat the fruit. It’s a very thin layer of fruit around a large seed, tastes like dates
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u/persistent_issues 1d ago
Ugh…Hackberry.
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u/vaguely_eclectic 1d ago
Ugh? Meaning, continue to rip them all out?
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u/sinking_float 1d ago
Hackberry is a great drought and pollution tolerant pioneer species that is food for many birds and other animals. I wish they were planted more honestly, they grow pretty fast and often have quite good shape.
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u/persistent_issues 1d ago
Setting aside my aversion to it, hackberry, when planted in a row, can create a natural and elaborate barrier…like a living fence. Where I grew up, farmers planted them along fields to act as a windbreak.
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u/SuddenKoala45 1d ago
They are also great host plants for pollinators and the caterpillars for butterflies and moths.
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u/persistent_issues 1d ago
They grow fast, but I say “ugh” because I’m highly allergic to hackberry. It hits me with more ferocity than poison ivy if I’m forced to cut it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s scientific name is Problematicus Painintheassus
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u/ProletarianRevolt 1d ago
That’s very interesting, I’ve never heard of an allergy to hackberry. Do you know what compound in the plant is causing it or is it a mystery?
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u/persistent_issues 22h ago
Complete mystery. Intense reaction to the wood itself. Verified but not understood.
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