Frangula caroliniana
Carolina Buckthorn
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
A large shrub or small tree, usually 10-15' tall & wide, occasionally to 25-30' tall. May be found as a single-stemmed tree w/ a spreading, open crown, or a multi-stemmed shrub.
Native Range
Kentucky Native — Native from New York to Florida, and west to Nebraska and Texas, including much of Kentucky. Introduced into cultivation in 1727. Often found along woodland streams and upland ridges of limestone origin.
Flower and Fruit Details
Axillary clusters of star-shaped, 5-pointed, ivory-white to greenish-yellow or yellowish-green flowers, small, not showy, blooming in May-June. . Fruit is a round, fleshy, berry-like drupe, 1/3" in size, very ornamental, changing from red in August to black in October, occurring in clusters, with each fruit bearing 3 seeds. Fruits are sweet & edible in small quantities. Songbirds enjoy the fruits.
Leaf and Bark Features
Deciduous: Leaves are simple, alternate, lustrous dark green and glabrous above, elliptic-oblong to lance-oblong, 2-6" long, acute or acuminate at the tip, rounded at the base, entire or serrulate on the margins, w/ 8-10 pairs of impressed veins. Attractive foliage. Petiole is pubescent, 1/2" long. Leaves hold their dark green color late into the fall, eventually assuming a yellow-green to brownish-yellow fall color that is not significant. Twigs have a strong almond smell when broken. Bark is smooth, brownish-gray, w/ some darker gray blotches. On older trees has alternating vertical bands of light gray and dark gray or brown, Bark is fairly tight, not exfoliating and not deeply furrowed.
Culture and Care
Adapts to a variety of soils and environments, but does best in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, alkaline soils. Add lime to acid soils. Mulch around plants to keep moisture uniform. Zone 5-9. No serious insect of disease problems.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
Good wildlife value. 3-season interest: Spring, summer and fall. In areas where oats are grown, this species is an alternate host of the crown rust of oats. First discovered in South Carolina, thus the common name, although this plant does not actually have thorns or spines. Fruits are used in some medicines.
Suggested Uses
Good plant for high pH, alkaline soils. Often used as a hedge, privacy screen, windbreak, and backdrop for perennials. Also used for naturalizing in a native plant area.