Alder Buckthorn is a small, flowering, evergreen or deciduous tree or shrub with thorny branches and a spreading habit. It will typically grow to a height of 16 feet, but some specimens can reach 20 feet. Alder Buckthorn is native to Europe and northern Africa and most often found in the wild in swamps and damp places and damp open woods, preferring a peaty soil. The genus name Frangula comes from the word "frango", meaning fragile or brittle, in reference to the tendency of the twigs to break easily. The species name refers to the common occurrence of the plant growing next to alder trees in the wild. Alder Buckthorn does well in most consistently moist, but not water-logged, moderately fertile soils and prefers neutral to acid conditions and full sun or semi-shade. It does not tolerate strong winds, but is winter hardy. The plant can be pruned to maintain a desired shape or to grow as a hedge, but keep in mind that it flowers on one-year old wood and also on the current year's growth. The plant will spread, suckering new plants from underground runners away from the plant. Birds are attracted to the berries and spread them over the landscape. For this reason and the plant's suckering habit, it is considered invasive in parts of the Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States. The plant can be used as a hedge or small tree. See some native alternatives to the left. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Susceptible to japanese beetles, caterpillars and scale. Nematodes can attack the roots. Cankers, leaf spots and rust can be problems. The species in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. More information on Rhamnus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Wet
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 16 ft. 0 in. | Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen; Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate; Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblong
Leaf margin
Dentate; Entire; Undulate
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Alternate or nearly opposite, simple, smooth or toothed, lustrous dark green leaves, 1 to 3 inches long and 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches wide, occur along the young shoots. and twigs. The margins are entire and sometimes undulate. Each leaf has about 6 to 8 pairs of lateral veins that are parallel to each other and curve toward the leaf tips as they approach the leaf margins.
Flower color
Black; Gold/Yellow; Green; Purple/Lavender
Flower form
Solitary; Umbel
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small, 4 to 5-parted creamy green flowers, solitary or umbel, in leaf axis of new growth that appear in spring and early summer. The petioles are light green to red and up to a ½ inch long. The solitary flowers and umbels of flowers are sessile. Each flower is about ¼ inch across, consisting of 5 yellowish green to white sepals, 5 white petals, 5 stamens, and a pistil.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Fleshy, small, red to purple-black drupe. about ¼ inch across, globoid in shape, and hairless. As they develop, the drupes change color from green, to yellow, to red, and finally to black. The interior of mature drupes contain 1 to 3 hardened seeds.
Bark color
Light Gray
Bark detail
The older bark is gray and slightly wrinkled or rough-textured.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Young branches are brown with abundant white lenticels,. Young shoots, however, are light green, pale yellowish brown, or red, terete, and glabrous.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe to Central Siberia and North West China and North Africa
Distribution
Introduced to central and eastern Canada and central and eastern United States to Tennessee.
Wildlife value
A good bee plant and a main food plant for the larvae of the yellow brimstone butterfly.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Drupe
Edibility
Berries can induce vomiting and indigestion when ingested.
Uses (ethnobotany)
The wood is used to make wooden nails, shoe lasts, veneer, and a high quality charcoal used by artists.