Leaf
Liliane Roubaudi, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Alder buckthorn
Frangula alnus Mill.
Also known as: Glossy buckthorn
Family: Rhamnaceae
2 to 5 m tall
Hedgerows, damp woodland, pond margins, moist soils
Flowering: May – June
Full sun
Part shade
Shade
Hardy to -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its charred wood was once the most sought-after charcoal for making gunpowder.
🍃 Leaves
Deciduous, oval, with prominent parallel veins, bright green
🌸 Flowers
Tiny greenish-white flowers, inconspicuous, rich in nectar
🍎 Fruits
Small drupes turning from red to black when ripe
🪵 Bark
Grey bark dotted with pale lenticels
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, western Asia; common in France in damp woods, peat bogs and woodland edges.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Inconspicuous but nectar-rich flowering, visited by bees; foliage is a food plant of the brimstone butterfly caterpillar.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Planted in country hedges and wetland areas, used in ecological restoration.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Bark and fruits are purgative, toxic in large doses (severe digestive upset).
🌿 Other Rhamnaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.
© Floraneo — profile content is protected; reproduction without permission is prohibited. Photos remain under their own licence (see the credit shown on each photo).