Common Buckthorn
3
4Will it grow where I live?
Common Buckthorn is hardy to zone 3 – that covers all of Central Europe and the British Isles, and every USDA zone from 3 upwards.
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Profile
- Family
- Rhamnaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Height
- 6 m
- Spread
- 3 m
- Growth
- slow
- Lifespan
- 100 years
- First yield
- after 6 years
- Hardiness
- zone 3–7
- Shade tolerance
- partial shade
- Soil
- Sand, Silt, Loam, Clay
- Soil moisture
- very dry – very moist
- pH
- 5.5 – 8.5
- Synonyms
- Rhamnus catharticus, Echter Kreuzdorn, Gemeiner Kreuzdorn, Kreuzbeere, Färberbeere, Hirschdorn
Flowering & harvest
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowering | ||||||||||||
| Fruit harvest |
Uses
Growing
Common buckthorn wants full sun to partial shade on dry, poor, lime-rich soil and will not tolerate waterlogging. It grows slowly, is fully hardy and extremely undemanding. Propagation is from seed, which needs several months of cold stratification. It takes pruning well as a hedge – wear gloves because of the thorns. Fruit set requires both a male and a female shrub.
Value for wildlife
The principal larval food plant of the brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni), whose specific epithet refers directly to buckthorn. The flowers are a good nectar source for bees, the berries are eaten and dispersed by thrushes and other birds, and the thorny thicket offers birds sheltered nesting sites.
Notable
Easily confused with alder buckthorn (Frangula alnus): common buckthorn has thorns, opposite leaves with arching veins and prefers dry limestone, while alder buckthorn is thornless, has alternate leaves and prefers acid, moist ground. In North America the species is a problematic invasive and an alternate host of crown rust of oats.
Origin & habitat
Europe east to western Siberia and Asia Minor, north to southern Scandinavia and Britain, south to North Africa. Naturalised and invasive in North America.
Calcareous grassland, dry scrub, woodland edges, hedgerows and open deciduous woodland; a strong lime indicator on dry to fresh, nutrient-poor soils. Avoids waterlogged ground.
⚠️ Hazards
Toxicity: toxic
All parts, especially the black berries, are poisonous. The anthraquinone glycosides act as a drastic purgative: ingestion causes vomiting, cramps, bloody diarrhoea and circulatory problems. A few berries are dangerous for children, who easily mistake them for edible fruit. Not for self-medication.
Frequently asked questions
Common Buckthorn: how big does it get?
Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) grows as a Shrub and reaches roughly 6 m in height when mature, with a spread of about 3 m. Growth is slow.
Common Buckthorn: what site does it need?
Common Buckthorn tolerates partial shade. Suitable soils are Sand, Silt, Loam, Clay. Soil moisture should be in the range very dry – very moist. The pH may lie between 5.5 and 8.5.
Common Buckthorn: is it hardy?
Common Buckthorn is listed as hardy in zone 3–7 and survives normal winters outdoors there.
Common Buckthorn: will it grow in Central Europe?
Common Buckthorn is hardy to zone 3 – that covers all of Central Europe and the British Isles, and every USDA zone from 3 upwards.
Common Buckthorn: when does it flower?
In a temperate northern-hemisphere climate it flowers from May to June.
Common Buckthorn: when is it harvested?
In a temperate northern-hemisphere climate the fruit ripens from September to November.
Common Buckthorn: is it poisonous?
Common Buckthorn is classified as toxic. With wild plants, never rely on a database alone — only on a confident identification.
Common Buckthorn: what is it used for?
Rated on a scale up to 10: Medicinal 3/10, Other uses 4/10.
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