Rhamnus cathartica - European Buckthorn

Rhamnus catharticus, also known as the Common Buckthorn or Purging Buckthorn, is a deciduous shrub native to and well suited to most European soils and climates. Forming a large shrub or sometimes a small tree, adorned with glossy foliage, this fearless thorny plant can be used to create natural hedgerows, and is extremely useful for the small fauna in our gardens, when associated with other local species. The shrub bears small inconspicuous but nectar-rich and pleasantly scented flowers in late spring, followed on female plants by small black fruits in autumn, sought after by birds.

The Common Buckthorn belongs to the Rhamnaceae family. This species is native to Europe, ranging from central England to the south of the Mediterranean, including France, Belgium, and Switzerland, and is also present in Asia, from western regions to the east, including Kyrgyzstan. It is a dioecious plant, meaning that there are male plants, which bear staminate flowers but no pistil, and female plants with pistillate flowers but no stamens. This species is found in thickets and small woodlands, often on clayey soils with a calcareous tendency, moist to dry.

It is a more or less bushy shrub reaching a height of 2 to 5 m (7 to 16ft) with a similar spread. It is capable of producing suckers and spreading laterally if conditions are met. Its bark is smooth, gray-brown on the trunks, becoming almost black with age. On older subjects, the bark peels off, revealing fresh,  orange-colored bark. The branches, of a more grayish color, are more or less spiny, very long, and are often terminated by a spine. The deciduous foliage appears in spring and falls in autumn. It consists of entire, elliptical to ovate leaves, finely toothed, measuring 2.5 to 9 cm (1 to 4in) long and 1.2 to 3.5 cm (1in) wide. They are bright green, becoming yellow in autumn. Flowering occurs in May-June. It takes the form of small clusters of 5 to 10 tiny green-yellow flowers with 4 petals, which emit a sweet honey scent. On female plants, in the presence of male plants, oval fruits less than 1 cm (1in) long called drupes form, initially red and then black when ripe in October. The bark and fruits of the Common Buckthorn, once widely used in European pharmacopoeia, are now considered toxic to humans.

Plant and grow Rhamnus catharticus 'naturally', in a wild shrubby bed or in a country hedge. It is a must-have for naturalistic gardens, where it will accompany other native or more 'exotic' shrubs that are truly easy to grow: European honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum), Wayfaring Tree (Viburnum lantana), Black Lace elderberry (Sambucus Black Lace), Snowball Tree (Viburnum opulus Roseum), Winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima and L. tatarica), Rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa Rubra), Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum King Edward VII), and why not a grapevine (Vitis vinifera Purpurea)...the choice is vast!