Buckthorn is a small deciduous tree that naturally occurs throughout Europe, and East Asia. Despite the name, the tree does not possess thorns. Also known as alder buckthorn (and not to be confused with sea buckthorn), the bark of this tree is harvested, dried and aged for a year before processing for its store of anthraquinones, compounds in the quinone family which exert potent cathartic effects.
Buckthorn buck powder is also used to produce natural dyes that range in color from yellow to olive green and pink to rusty red.
