Cofrin Center for Biodiversity

Plants Kingdom Plantae

European Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

European Buckthorn European Buckthorn is a small tree which grows widely in southern Wisconsin and is expanding its numbers in northeastern Wisconsin. It is well established in Brown County where it dominates the understory of many deciduous forests. It has been present long enough for many trees to have reached maturity and as they produce numerous berries the birds which eat them are quickly spreading this species further. It can form dense stands which crowd out most other species in the forest.

European Buckthorn has small sharp thorns on the ends of some branches and produces abundant dark, nearly black berries. Cutting the stems does little good, as they quickly resprout, producing numerous new stems. It does best in disturbed upland forests, but is present in a wide variety of habitats including just about everything from upland fields to moist forests. The photo below shows a woods being invaded by Buckthorn. All the green leaves in the picture are Rhamnus cathartica. It is helpful in controlling buckthorn that the leaves remain green in the Autumn long after most other deciduous species, making it easy to find during that period.

Biodiversity Topics: Introduction . Plants . Animals . Mammals . Birds . Reptiles & Amphibians . Arthropods . Spiders . Insects