# alder buckthorn (*Frangula alnus*) Alder buckthorn is a small shrub that grows in wet places like riverbanks and marshes. It has shiny green leaves and produces small black berries that birds love to eat! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 9 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![alder buckthorn](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Frangula_alnus_sl7.jpg&width=800) Photo: Stefan.lefnaer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frangula_alnus_sl7.jpg) ## Appearance The alder buckthorn is a deciduous shrub or small tree, featuring smooth, dark bark often speckled with light lenticels. Its oval, untoothed leaves are glossy green, turning a bright yellow in autumn. Tiny greenish-white flowers give way to berries that ripen from red to shiny black. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rhamnaceae - **Genus:** Frangula ## Interesting facts - Wow! Its bark was once dried and used as a key ingredient for making charcoal for gunpowder! - Wow! Some gardeners use it to attract beautiful brimstone butterflies to their yards! - Wow! The berries of this plant dramatically change color from green, to red, then shiny black! - Wow! The wood is incredibly tough and dense, prized for making durable charcoal! ## Special abilities - **Caterpillar Nursery:** Alder buckthorn has leaves that provide essential food for the caterpillars of the Brimstone butterfly, helping them grow. - **Natural Chemical Defense:** Alder buckthorn bark and berries contain compounds that act as a laxative, deterring animals from eating too many. - **Extended Resource Supply:** Alder buckthorn can flower and fruit continuously over several months, offering a steady food source for pollinators and birds. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 300-700 cm - **Spread:** 200-500 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Brimstone butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brimstone-butterfly) (*Gonepteryx rhamni*) — Caterpillars feed on its leaves. - **Eats:** [Song Thrush](https://www.snappit.app/explore/song-thrush) (*Turdus philomelos*) — Feeds on its ripe black berries. - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits its small, nectar-rich flowers. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Dye](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/dye): This human use trait indicates species from which natural dyes can be extracted and used to color textiles, food, or other materials. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Do not eat the berries without asking an adult, as they can upset your tummy. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify alder buckthorn? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is alder buckthorn? 300-700 cm ### How wide does alder buckthorn spread? 200-500 cm ### How big are the flowers on alder buckthorn? 0.5-1 cm ### When does alder buckthorn bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is alder buckthorn edible? No ### Is alder buckthorn toxic? Moderate ### What is alder buckthorn's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Brooklyn Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brooklyn-botanic-garden) — New York, US · Botanical Garden - [Cleveland Cultural Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cleveland-cultural-gardens) — Ohio, US · Park - [Kennebunkport Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kennebunkport-historic-district) — Maine, US · Historic District - [Mystic River Reservation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mystic-river-reservation) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Rogerson's Village Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rogersons-village-historic-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District - [Salmon Falls (West) Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/salmon-falls-west-historic-district) — Maine, US · Historic District [View all places to see alder buckthorn](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/alder-buckthorn) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Alder Buckthorn: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/alder-buckthorn)