Even in January, one might still find ripe red-brown drupes hanging off the sugarberry (Celtis laevigata). This uncommon tree species of the American Southeast can be found in bottomland forests or in areas with more basic soil. It’s best identified by its warty bark and leaves with a mostly smooth margin.
The Lumbee people, an Indigenous group associated with southern North Carolina, call the sugarberry “yap nyu stciwe” or sweet tree. Lumbee healers believe the fruits increase overall health and Lumbee children historically enjoyed it as a sweet treat. According to local naturalist, Will Cook, sugarberry “fruits are edible and sweetish – the taste is similar to that of dates.” Birds seem to enjoy sugarberry fruits, too, including gamebirds (e.g., turkey, quail, and waterfowl) and songbirds (e.g., American robins, northern mockingbirds). Plus, it’s the host plant for the hackberry emperor and American snout butterflies.
Sense of Place 