Leaf
Genevieve Botti, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Mediterranean buckthorn
Rhamnus alaternus L.
Also known as: Italian buckthorn
Family: Rhamnaceae
2 to 4 m tall
Garrigue, evergreen hedges, dry gardens, all soils
Flowering: March – April
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to -15°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Very resistant to drought and to pruning, it is traditionally used as a Mediterranean windbreak hedge. Purging buckthorn has twigs ending in a thorn and very laxative black fruits, whereas Mediterranean buckthorn is a thornless Mediterranean evergreen shrub with leathery, glossy foliage all year round.
🍃 Leaves
Evergreen, ovate, leathery, glossy dark green
🌸 Flowers
Tiny greenish flowers, inconspicuous, very rich in nectar
🍎 Fruits
Small red berries turning black when ripe
🪵 Bark
Grey bark, red-brown twigs
🗺️ Distribution
Mediterranean; common in the maquis and garrigue of southern France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Inconspicuous but nectar-rich spring flowering, visited by bees; evergreen foliage a host for some butterflies.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Planted as a clipped evergreen hedge, tolerating drought and sea spray.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Fruits mildly purgative, not recommended for eating (digestive upset), as with other buckthorns.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Mediterranean buckthorn
Rhamnus alaternus
Common buckthorn
Rhamnus cathartica
Purging buckthorn has twigs ending in a thorn and very laxative black fruits, whereas Mediterranean buckthorn is a thornless Mediterranean evergreen shrub with leathery, glossy foliage all year round.
🌿 Other Rhamnaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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