Vertical Canyonlands

The distinctive basin and range topography of Northern Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) bark. Layers of the bark’s growth can be seen, looking like layers of sediment, to continue the geological analogy. Hackberries were once classified in the Ulmaceae, or elm, family but are now considered to be a member of the Cannabaceae, or hemp family. Yes, that’s the one with the black sheep Cannabis genus, along with the blessed deliverer of bitterness, the hops Humulus.