I’m left with fewer hints as to what a tree is, now that it is meterological winter. Leaves are gone. Hackberry (Celtis occindentalis) gives me a couple other clues though.

Often Hackberry berries stay on the tree until early spring when hungry migrating birds return from their wintering grounds, but for the most part I don’t depend on those berries for identification.

One thing I depend on for winter identification of Hackberry is the Hackberry Petiole Gall which to the casual observer might appear to be berries, but these are the galls where the nymphs of Hackberry Petiole Gall Pysllid develop. Larger than the berries, more woody. They’re quite a common sight.

And as with many trees, the bark is something that can be used as identification. Often Hackberry’s bark makes me think of a 3D topo map. The younger the tree, the fewer ridges will be found, with much more “flatland.”

A tree that I love to find with its make believe topographic map bark.