# Cascara (*Frangula purshiana*) Cascara is a small tree or shrub that grows in forests. It has shiny leaves and produces small berries that are loved by birds. People also use its bark for medicine! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Cascara Buckthorn ![Cascara](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Rhamnus_purshiana_-_K%C3%B6hler%E2%80%93s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-121.jpg&width=800) Photo: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhamnus_purshiana_-_K%C3%B6hler%E2%80%93s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-121.jpg) ## Appearance The Cascara has thin, reddish-brown bark that often looks like cinnamon and smooth, oval leaves with prominent veins. Its tiny, greenish-yellow flowers bloom in clusters, later developing into small, dark purple-black berries. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rhamnaceae - **Genus:** Frangula ## Interesting facts - Cascara bark must be aged for at least one year before it can be used safely! - Its name "Cascara Sagrada" means "sacred bark" in Spanish! - Many butterflies and moths visit Cascara's small flowers for a sweet sip of nectar. - The inner bark turns bright yellow when exposed to air, then darkens over time. ## Special abilities - **Healing Helper Bark:** Cascara has special compounds in its bark that have been used for traditional medicine for centuries to help tummy troubles. - **Bird Bait Berries:** It grows small, dark berries that birds love to eat, helping the tree spread its seeds to new places. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 400-1500 cm - **Spread:** 200-800 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.6 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late Spring - Early Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar from its tiny flowers - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Feeds on its small, dark purple berries - **Eats:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Browses its leaves and young twigs ## Traits - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [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. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [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. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Do not eat any part of the plant without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Cascara? 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 Cascara? 400-1500 cm ### How wide does Cascara spread? 200-800 cm ### How big are the flowers on Cascara? 0.3-0.6 cm ### When does Cascara bloom? Late Spring - Early Summer ### Is Cascara edible? No ### Is Cascara toxic? Mild ### What is Cascara's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Peavy Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/peavy-arboretum) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden - [Redwood National and State Parks](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/redwood-national-and-state-parks) — California, US · National Park - [Sasquatch Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sasquatch-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see Cascara](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/cascara) ## 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: [Cascara: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cascara)