Tree Information
Common Name: dwarf hackberry
Scientific Name: Celtis pumila (syn. Celtis tenuifolia)
Native/Naturalized: Native to Virginia
Database ID: 1500
Status: alive
National Champion: no
Virginia Champion: no
Trunk Girth: 67 in.
Tree Height: 35 ft.
Crown Spread: 50 ft.
Points: 115
Date Last Measured: 2025
Last Measured by: Vic Parkes, Bella Hardaway, and Eric Wiseman
Date First Measured: 2009
Comments:
2025 comments: The tree's trunk is engulfed by the burning bush hedge that it grows in. English ivy is invading the trunk. The tree's low, spreading crown reaches out over the street. Trunk circumference was measured at the usual 4.5' above ground level unlike the previous measurements from 2017.
2017 comments: The tree appears generally healthy, but is growing on edge of roadway curb and grows into boundary hedge. Another similar-sized specimen grows a short distance away. Its location puts this tree at increased risk in the future. One of a number of dwarf hackberries growing in the Alexandria National Cemetery Complex. The cemetery, in Old Town Alexandria, is home to a number of historic grave sites and old tree specimens. The trunk circumference measured at 3'9" above ground line, the smallest measurement between the trunk split and the ground. The measurements conducted by Greg Zell and Matt Barker were 62", 32', and 46' for a score of 106 points.
Location of Tree
Tree is located in: City of Alexandria
Land Owner: City of Alexandria
GPS Coordinates: 38.800140, -77.054880
Directions: Located next to the Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex in Old Town Alexandria near the intersection of South Payne Street and Gibbon Street. The Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex is the most historic cluster of cemeteries in the United States. It dates back to the 1803 Yellow Fever epidemic, which claimed over 200 lives in Alexandria. This tree is growing on the edge of curbing of South Payne Street. Another large dwarf hackberry is growing on the street nearby.
Contact Information
Contact Name: City of Alexandria Urban Forestry Team
Contact Phone: 703-746-4665
Nominators
Original Nominator(s): Rod Simmons, Greg Zell
Additional Information
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