European Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

Other Names

Common Buckthorn

Habitat

Widespread

Wildlife Value

Malignant

Native?

Related Sites

European Buckthorn; leaf | Stillwater, MN| View Enlarged Image

European Buckthorn is the gardener's version of Frankenstein's monster. It was introduced from Europe as an ornamental tree, and it seemed like a great idea at the time. It was fast-growing, slender, the glossy leaves stayed a rich, dark green from Spring all the way into early Winter; it even produced purple berries that attracted Cedar Waxwings and other songbirds. So what was the problem? Native species weren't equipped to cope with the buckthorn.

The gardeners soon found that the glossy purple berries were cathartic, meaning they induce diarrhea in any animal unfortunate enough to eat them. This was just as unhealthy for the forests as it was for the waxwings chickadees and other animals that ate the buckthorn berries. Since the seeds barely touched the animal's digestive tracts, many were excreted in a fertile state - many more than native species like the ash or cherry. Couple this with the enormous crops buckthorns produce. In the fall, their boughs are often overloaded with thick clusters of lustrous purple berries. In one growing season, a single buckthorn can produce enough berries to turn a 3-acre lot into a thick patch of glossy saplings. Not only can they overrun the disturbed earth around roadsides and developments, but they can quickly invade forests, reaching far into state and national parks as birds and animals from neighboring areas trail the seeds in.

While buckthorn was declared a noxious weed in the ‘30s and can no longer be imported, much of the damage has already been done. While local groups and the DNR have spent millions to eradicate the problem, it remains an uphill battle. The trees are incredibly resilient, and the only way to stifle them seems to be through a steady management program that includes cutting, controlled burns, and the occasional use of herbicide.

The root of the problem is that no matter how hard state and local groups work, buckthorn will always be a problem as long as it is alive and active in Minnesota's residential neighborhoods. Many residents simply aren't aware of what a problem those lustrous green leaves are, let alone the effect they have on native plants and wildlife. In recent years, many state and local groups have a made major effort to educate the public on the dangers of buckthorn and ways to help eradicate it.

Multimedia:


European Buckthorn; bark \| Stillwater, MN	European Buckthorn; berries \| Stillwater, MN

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