If you’ve noticed hackberry trees around Fort Worth suddenly turning brown, losing leaves, or covered in webbing and small green caterpillars, you’re definitely not the only one!
We’re seeing a major wave of hackberry leafrollers across the Fort Worth area right now. These small green caterpillars feed heavily on hackberry foliage and use silk to roll or tie leaves together for protection. During large outbreaks, they can make a tree look severely damaged very quickly and may leave silk strands hanging from the canopy.
The good news is that heavy leaf loss does not automatically mean the tree is dying. Hackberry leafroller outbreaks have occurred across North Texas before, and established, otherwise healthy hackberries can often tolerate significant late-season defoliation and leaf back out normally the following spring.
Where we become more concerned is when the tree is already under stress from drought, excessive heat, poor irrigation, root damage, construction, restricted rooting space, or another pest or disease. In those situations, the leafroller damage can become another stressor on an already declining tree.
Treatment also isn't automatically necessary simply because caterpillars are present. The condition of the tree, severity of the infestation, timing in the season, and whether active feeding is still occurring should all be considered before deciding whether treatment makes sense.
If your hackberry suddenly looks terrible, don't assume it needs to be removed. Have the tree and the cause of the decline properly identified first.
If you have questions about a hackberry on your property, feel free to reach out. We’re always happy to help determine what you’re looking at and whether anything actually needs to be done.
ISA Certified Arborist TX-5220A
Veteran Owned & Operated
Fort Worth, Texas
📞 (817) 617-8686
🌐 casetreeservicetx.com
Unsure what is affecting your hackberry? We offer pest and disease evaluation to investigate the concern and tree health management based on the findings.