Spiny hackberry, or granjeno, is a native, cool-season perennial shrub reaching 4 to 15 feet tall. Growing along its stems are characteristic thorns that are sharp, heavy, unequal and paired. Its smooth, gray branches zigzag between the thorns. ... This shrub provides excellent food and cover for wildlife.

How do I identify a hackberry tree?

Common hackberry is easily identified by its distinctive corky, knobby bark. Young trees are smooth, and as the tree matures, the bark forms these distinctive knobs and then ridges. Hackberry nipple galls form as the larvae of hackberry nipple gall psyllids feed within the leaves. They are very common.

Is a hackberry poisonous?

All hackberries are edible and highly nutritious. They have been consumed by humans for millennia and are one of the first known foods that humans have eaten and stored.