Carolina Buckthorn
Frangula caroliniana (Walter) A. Gray
(formerly Rhamnus caroliniana Walter)
Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae)
▲ mature shrub with fruit
▲▼ young plants
▲▼ alternate leaves and immature fruit
▲▼ mature fruit
Carolina Buckthorn:
· Large U.S. native shrub or small tree in the Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae) with shiny green, elongated-oval leaves with pointed tips
· Leaves tend to be alternate (different from the non-native and invasive European Buckthorn or Glossy Buckthorns' more opposite or near opposite leaf arrangement)
· Leaf margins may be smooth or with tiny, rounded teeth, and few to no hairs on either side
· Is dioecious, with separate male and female plants; has tiny flowers; fruit is a green, turning to reddish purple to black drupe, eaten & spread by birds
· Need to be sure to identify buckthorns carefully to keep the naive and remove the invasive in wildland seetings