In the paper we study what sets can be obtained as α-limit sets of backward trajectories in graph maps. We show that in the case of mixing maps, all those α-limit sets are ω-limit sets and for all but finitely many points x, we can obtain every ω-limits set as the α-limit set of a backward trajectory starting in x. For zero entropy maps, every α-limit set of a backward trajectory is a minimal set. In the case of maps with positive entropy, we obtain a partial characterization which is very close to complete picture of the possible situations.