Key to Celtis Species I. Leaves are usually uneven at the base. Teeth are missing on the lower third of the leaf margin. Buds are flattened against the twig. Pith is diaphragmed or intermittently chambered. Flowers are small and inconspicuous.
Fruit ranges in color from orange-red to dark purple.
The hackberry is commonly found in the state except in the northeastern portion. It occurs most abundantly, and of great size, in the rich, alluvial lands of southwestern Ohio but thrives on various types of soil. In the open, the crown is symmetrical as an older tree but open and irregular as a younger plant. Its limbs are often crooked and angular. The crown is made of slender branches or short, bristly, stubby twigs.