Rhamnus alnifolia L’Hér.

Alderleaf buckthorn

About plant names...

Alderleaf buckthorn is a North American native.

Identification: This small shrub reaches up to 3' (1 m) in height. Leaves are alternate, smooth-edged, elliptical, either rounded or pointed at the tip, up to 4" (10 cm) × 2" (5 cm). Flowers are yellowish-green, in groups of 1-3, nestled at the base of leaves, from May to July. Male and female flowers occur on different plants. Fruits are round, up to ¼" (6.3 mm) in diameter, turning to light red and then to deep black. Each fruit contains three seeds.

Edibility: Not edible.

By Bryan A. Connolly, Massachusetts State Botanist, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife · 12/18/2007 · Sheffield, Mass­a­chu­setts

By Bryan A. Connolly, Massachusetts State Botanist, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife · 12/18/2007 · Sheffield, Mass­a­chu­setts

Here are some similar-looking buckthorns:

	You are here Rhamnus alnifolia	Rhamnus cathartica	Frangula alnus
Common Name	alderleaf buckthorn	buckthorn	European buckthorn
Plant	This smaller shrub reaches up to 3' (1 m) in height.	Plants are rounded shrubs or small trees up to 33' (10 m) in height, with trunks that sometimes reach 10" (25 cm) in width. Outer bark is dark gray, while the inner bark is yellow and the heartwood is pink to orange in color. Stem tips are often tipped with a spine.	9½-20' (3-6 m) tall. It usually has multiple stems, rarely only one, becoming a tree. Dark brown-black bark covers a light yellow interior bark.
Flowers	Yellowish-green, 5-petaled, in groups of 1-3, nestled at the base of leaves, from May to July. Male and female flowers are on different plants.	Yellowish-green, with four petals, in dense clusters.	¹/₁₆-³/₁₆" (3-5 mm), 5-petaled, yellowish- or greenish-white, and inconspicuous.
Leaves	Alternate, elliptical, either rounded or pointed at the tip, smooth-edged, up to 4" (10 cm) × 2" (5 cm).	Elliptic (roughly oval), with several prominent veins roughly parallel to the leaf edges and fine teeth. They are ⅞-3½" (2.5-9 cm) × ⅜-1¼" (1.2-3.5 cm) in size. Leaves are mostly opposite, occasionally alternate, smooth on top and bottom.	Roughly oval, 1-2½" (3-7 cm) long and ⅞-1½" (2.5-4 cm) wide. Leaves have smooth edges and prominent veins and stems ¼-½" (8-15 mm) long.
Fruit	Round, up to ¼" (6.3 mm) in diameter, turning to light red and then to deep black. Each fruit contains three seeds.	Fruits are dense clusters of black berries ⅛-⅜" (6-10 mm) in diameter. Each berry contains 3-4 seeds.	Clusters of shiny black berries, reddish or purplish before ripening, are each ⅛-⅜" (6-10 mm) in diameter.
Range/ Zones
Type	Wild	Wild	Wild
Occurrence	Uncommon	Common	Common

Online References:

The U.S. Geological Survey's Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

The USDA Plants Database

Ontario Trees & Shrubs

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

The Plant Conservation Alliance’s Alien Plant Working Group Least Wanted List

The University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Rhamnus lanceolata ssp. glabrata)

The Jepson Manual

References:

Petrides, George A., Peterson Field Guides: Trees and Shrubs, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1972, p. 266

By Bryan A. Connolly, Massachusetts State Botanist, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife · 12/18/2007 · Sheffield, Mass­a­chu­setts

Rhamnus alnifolia description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

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By Bryan A. Connolly, Massachusetts State Botanist, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife · 12/18/2007 · Sheffield, Mass­a­chu­setts

Range:

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