Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Rosales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Frangula alnus
FAMILY
Rhamnaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Leaves are elliptical to oblong, 1.5-3 inches long, with strongly parallel veins (looking indeed like an alder leaf). Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
This species is a seriously invasive weed in ne. United States, and it has recently been found in a forested area along the Blue Ridge Parkway in w. NC, per Weakley's Flora (2022)
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Frangula alnus
FAMILY
Rhamnaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Frangula alnus
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 12 (2016)
Frangula alnus
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Frangula alnus
SYNONYMOUS WITH Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Rhamnus frangula
COMMON NAME:
Glossy Buckthorn, European Alder-buckthorn
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_rhfr_001_lvd
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Frangula alnus
FAMILY
Rhamnaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Frangula alnus
FAMILY
Rhamnaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Frangula alnus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 12
Frangula alnus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Frangula alnus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Rhamnus frangula
576
Shrub; Tree
Perennial
Habitat: forested areas, other disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Europe
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant may be causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2013
- US Forest Service Southern Research Station
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Not armed
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
Margins entire
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Greenish-white
5-merous
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Red->Purple-black
Drupe
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007) p173
- A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests (Miller, Chambliss, & Lowenstein, 2010) p012
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p144
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".