How to Identify Common Buckthorn
Common buckthorn is a non-native invasive shrub or small tree that originated in Eurasia. The shrub, brought to the United States as an ornamental species, has the ability to crowd out native plants and is a relative of native buckthorn species such as Carolina buckthorn. Common buckthorn grows in many habitats, from woodlands to prairies, throughout much of the northern tier of states in America. The plant can withstand full sun or part shade and is a common sight in such places as abandoned farm fields, along fence rows and in pastures throughout its range.
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Instructions
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Look for a shrub or for a small tree that falls within the height range of 10 to 25 feet. The common buckthorn can have a trunk diameter of as much as 10 inches. The common buckthorn can spread out in its upper branches to be as wide as 20 feet.
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Inspect the twigs and branches of common buckthorn for the short, sharp, spiky thorns that help give the species its name. These thorns will be at the tips of the twigs, but some also exist in the forks that develop between a pair of branches.
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Examine the leaves of common buckthorn. The leaves should be oval and a shiny dark greenish shade. The edges of buckthorn leaves possess fine serrations. One of the best ways to identify buckthorn positively is by closely inspecting the veins that exist on the leaves. A central vein runs the length of the leaf, with smaller curved veins branching off it. However, the veins are alternate, meaning that instead of a pair of veins branching off in the opposite direction from each other along the midrib of the leaf, a single vein branches off, then another above it and so forth for the length of the leaf.
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Study the flowers and the fruit of common buckthorn. The flowers occur on both the male and the female trees, but only the female buckthorns produce the fruit. The flowers grow in small clusters of from 2 to 8 green-yellow blossoms. Each has 4 or 5 petals. The fruit emerges in clusters of rounded greenish berries. By the end of the summer, buckthorn berries change to purple-black and are about 1/3 inch wide. Birds and small animals will eat them.
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Notice that the leaves of common buckthorn remain on the tree long past the time that most other trees have lost their foliage. In addition, the leaves are among the first to develop in the early weeks of spring. The leaves take on special colors, simply changing to a duller green before finally falling.
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Observe the bark of the common buckthorn. The bark is grayish or brown and it will typically contain a number of horizontal markings known as lenticels. The older trees will have a much rougher bark than the immature specimens will. The inner bark has a very noticeable color, being yellow-orange when you scrape away the outer layers.
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References
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