Should You Remove That Hackberry Tree? A Central Texas Homeowner's Guide

If there's a tree growing out of your fence line that you never planted, there's a good chance it's a hackberry. Birds eat the berries and drop the seeds along fences, and hackberries grow fast. Here's how to decide whether yours should stay.

How to recognize a hackberry

• Bark that's gray with distinctive corky ridges or warts.
• Leaves that are lopsided at the base, with toothed edges and a rough, sandpapery texture on some types.
• Small berries that turn orange-red to dark purple in fall.
• Location: often right against a fence, the house foundation or under another tree.

Why people remove hackberries

• Weak wood. Hackberries grow quickly and their wood is relatively weak, so they tend to drop limbs, especially as they get older.
• Bad locations. Because birds plant them, they often grow tight against fences, foundations, AC units and driveways, where trunks and roots cause damage.
• Shorter lifespan and decay. They're prone to decay and are often declining by the time they're large.
• Mess. Berries, sticky residue from insects on the leaves in some years, and lots of seedlings.

When to keep one

A healthy hackberry in a good spot, away from the house with room to grow, can be a perfectly fine shade tree. They tolerate drought and poor soil, and wildlife like the berries. If it's well-placed and solid, regular deadwood removal may be all it needs.

Remove it while it's small

The best time to remove a fence-line hackberry is when it's young. A thin sapling is a quick job. Wait ten years and the same tree has a big trunk pushing on the fence and limbs over two yards.

Do hackberries grow back?

Yes. Hackberries can resprout from the stump if it's just cut. Grinding the stump, or treating fresh cut stumps of small saplings, helps prevent regrowth. See stump grinding costs.

What hackberry removal costs

Rough planning ranges, not quotes:

• Small fence-line hackberry: often $150 – $400
• Medium tree (20–40 ft): often $400 – $1,200
• Large hackberry over a structure: more, depending on access and what's underneath

If it's growing through a fence, budget for a fence repair after the trunk comes out.

Frequently asked questions

Are hackberry trees good or bad? They're tough and good for wildlife, but have weak wood, decay easily and often grow in bad spots. Well-placed healthy ones can stay; fence-line volunteers usually should go.

Do hackberry trees drop branches? Yes, more than many trees, especially as they age or when decay sets in.

Will a hackberry grow back after I cut it down? It can resprout from the stump. Grinding the stump helps prevent it.

How do I stop hackberries growing along my fence? Pull seedlings when they're small, and remove saplings before the trunks get large.

Get a hackberry removal quote

Use the form below with photos of the tree, the trunk and what it's growing against. More on our tree service.