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 Appearance:
Tall understory shrub or small tree up to 20' high with a spreading
loosely branched crown, often multiple stems at the base. Brown bark
with elongate silvery corky projections (caution: native plums or
cherries have a similar bark). Female and male plants. A cut branch
exposes yellow sapwood and orange heartwood. Twigs often end in stout
thorns. Leaves:
Alternate, sometimes opposite; broadly elliptic, pointed at the tip,
smooth, dark, glossy and small-toothed. Leaves stay green late into
fall. Flower: Inconspicuous
flowers appear in May or June, clustered in the axils
of leaves. Fruit:
Clusters of black 1/4" fruit ripen on female plants in August
and September. Seeds:
Viable for 2-3 years in the soil. Root:
Buckthorn has an extensive fibrous root system. |
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Aggressively invades oak forests, savannas,
prairies and riparian woods, completely eliminating native plant
diversity in the understory over time. It thrives particularly on
well-drained soils. Plants leaf-out early and retain leaves late
into the fall creating dense shade. Seeds have laxative effect on
birds who disperse them. Introduced to North America as ornamental
shrubs. Also used as a cathartic and may have been brought here
as part of pharmacopoeia.
Legal Status:
This plant is a restricted noxious weed in Minnesota and the importation,
sale, and transportation of the plant or its propagating parts is
illegal in the state except as provided by Minnesota Statutes, section
18.82.
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 Wisconsin
Manual of Control Recommendations for Ecologically Invasive Plants,
1997 |
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