Hackberry is a medium-large tree of moist habitats, fairly rare in central North Carolina. The leaves are broader, more heavily toothed, and rougher above than the much more common Sugarberry (C. laevigata), which is also a large tree of wet habitats. Dwarf Hackberry (C. tenuifolia) is similar, but is a shrub or small tree of drier areas with slightly smaller leaves that are less regularly toothed at the base.

Three species of butterflies feed on the leaves as larvae: Hackberry Emperor, Tawny Emperor, and American Snout.

This large tree was photographed along the riverside in Hill Forest, northern Durham Co., NC. We have var. occidentalis in NC; there are two other varieties elsewhere in the US.