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Frangula alnus Mill.

European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn

Alder buckthorn is native to Europe, Africa, and Asia. It was introduced to North America, where it has become naturalized. Frangula means “brittle wood,” and alnus means alders, which are often found in the same habitats. Alder buckthorn actually has no thorns, though relatives in the Rhamnus genus often do. In many areas it is considered an invasive.

Plants: This shrub reaches 9½–20′ (3–6 m). It usually has multiple stems, rarely only one, becoming a tree. Dark brown-black bark covers a light yellow interior bark.

Leaves: Roughly oval, 1–2½″ (3–7 cm) long and ⅞–1½″ (2.5–4 cm) wide. Leaves have prominent veins and stems ¼–½″ (8–15 mm) long.

Flowers: 1/16–3/16″ (3–5 mm), 5-petaled, yellowish- or greenish-white, and inconspicuous.

Fruits: Clusters of shiny black drupes, reddish or purplish before ripening, are each ⅛–⅜″ (6–10 mm) in diameter. Each drupe contains 1-3 seeds.

Habitats: Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forest edges, forests, meadows and fields, swamps.

Similar-looking buckthorns.

Online References:

Wikipedia

Invasive.org, Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health

Plants for a Future

Wikimedia Commons

References:

Petrides, George A., Peterson Field Guides: Trees and Shrubs, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1972, p. 267

Rhamnus frangula L.
Rhamnus frangula L. var. angustifolia Loudon
Rhamnus frangula L. ssp. columnaris hort.

 

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

9/7/2013 · Beech Hill, Dublin, New Hamp­shire · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

10/20/2011 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (11 × 17 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

7/20/2012 · J. Harry Rich Dirt Road, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

10/20/2011 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 19 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

7/7/2012 · Gibbet Hill, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

6/23/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 4½ × 3″ (11 × 7.9 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

9/7/2013 · Beech Hill, Dublin, New Hamp­shire · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

7/20/2012 · J. Harry Rich Dirt Road, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

7/5/2012 · Groton Place and Sabine Woods, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

9/7/2013 · Beech Hill, Dublin, New Hamp­shire · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

6/16/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

6/23/2013 · Rocky Ridge Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hamp­shire · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 10 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

6/23/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 2½ × 2½″ (6.9 × 6.6 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

6/23/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

6/20/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

7/27/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 13 × 9″ (33 × 22 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

8/4/2009 · Near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 12 × 8″ (30 × 20 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

8/6/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 4 × 2½″ (10 × 7.2 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

7/7/2012 · Gibbet Hill, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

7/5/2012 · Groton Place and Sabine Woods, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

9/7/2013 · Beech Hill, Dublin, New Hamp­shire · ≈ 5 × 8″ (12 × 19 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

6/24/2015 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Ctr, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 6″ (14 × 14 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

6/24/2015 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Ctr, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 6″ (20 × 14 cm)

Frangula alnus (European buckthorn, alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn)

10/20/2011 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm)

ParentsUnknownGenus is not in the current taxonomy
GenusFrangulaCRC World Dictionary of Plant Names says: “Perhaps derived from the Latin frangere, ‘to break.’” A personal communication from John Kartesz supplied the information that the name refers to its extremely brittle wood. The species alder-buckthorn, Rhamnus frangula, bears a fairly old name, and the bark of that tree contained a glucoside with purgative or laxative qualities that was named frangulin by a chemist named Casselmann
SpeciesalnusThe classical Latin name for this genus

About plant names...

Range: Zones 2a-7b:

About this map...

Frangula alnus description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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