Buckthorn is one of the most valuable native trees, because the shrub offers many ecological advantages. Its growth habit makes the wood an ideal shrub for the natural garden, where many animals feel at home. The flowers attract pollinators and set accents.
Buckthorn is a native shrub
particularities
The purging buckthorn occurs in alluvial forests and inhabits sparse forests and forest edges. As a native species, the wood forms hedges and bushes that are considered a valuable habitat for birds. Numerous species of butterflies feed on the leaves. Bugs and longhorn beetles find a retreat in the buckthorn. The flowers attract wild bees and bumblebees looking for nectar.
Look
Buckthorn is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to a meter tall. In suitable locations, the wood occasionally reaches heights of between six and eight meters. Its branches are irregular and sparse, resulting in a bizarre growth habit.
Young shoots develop a light gray bark that turns almost black over the years and peels off in transverse bands. If the bark is injured, an unpleasant aroma spreads. The mature short shoots end in thorns that overlap the branches in a cross shape. Hence the species got its German name.
Between May and June, the buckthorn flowers with yellow-green flowers, which are in threes to fives on inflorescence stems. They arise from the leaf axils. Rhamnus catharica is dioecious. There are purely female and male plants. The fruit ripens from September. The black drupes are poisonous to humans.
use
Rhamnus cathartica develops a deep root system, which is why the tree is suitable for stabilizing slopes. Buckthorn can be planted in loose soil that has been degraded by environmental exposure. If he has formed a dense hedge, the soil is protected from erosion.
In the garden, the buckthorn forms a natural habitat. It blends in with the overall picture of wild trees and can also be planted as a solitary plant. The shrub harmonizes in plantings with dogwood, honeysuckle and dog rose.
Other types of buckthorn:
- Rock buckthorn (Rhamnus saxatilis): low shrub up to one meter high
- Carniolan buckthorn (Rhamnus fallax): shrub up to three meters high, thornless
- Dwarf buckthorn (Rhamnus pumila): Ground cover up to 20 cm high