description
Buckthorn is a deciduous shrub in the family Rhamnaceae that grows up to 20
feet tall. Buckthorn is usually multi-stemmed, but rarely forms a small tree
with a trunk diameter of up to 20 cm. The bark is dark blackish-brown, with
bright lemon-yellow inner bark exposed if cut, bark turns gray as it ages.
The shoots are dark brown, the winter buds without bud scales, protected
only by the densely hairy outer leaves The leaves are ovate, 3–7 (–11) cm
long by 2.5–4 (–6) cm wide, slightly downy on the veins, with an entire
margin, 6–10 pairs of prominently grooved veins, and an 8–15 mm petiole;
they are arranged alternately on the stems.
The flowers are small, 3–5 mm
diameter, star-shaped with five greenish-white acute triangular petals,
hermaphroditic, and insect pollinated, flowering in May to June in clusters
of two to ten in the leaf axils. The fruit is a small black berry 6–10 mm
diameter, ripening from green through red in late summer to dark purple or
black in early autumn, containing two or three pale brown 5 mm seeds. The
seeds are primarily dispersed by fruit-eating birds.
common names & nomenclature
The genus name Frangula refers to the brittle wood. The common name
refers to its often growing together with alders on damp sites.
Also known as:
european buckthorn, arrowwood, black alder tree, persian berries, alder buckthorn, black dogwood, black alder dogwood, european black alder, glossy buckthorn
