Side by side
Common dogwood or alder buckthorn? How to tell them apart
Cornus sanguinea · Frangula alnus
How to tell them apart – common dogwood: opposite leaves; alder buckthorn: shrub with untoothed, glossy leaves with parallel curved veins, and berries that turn from green through red to black.
Photo: Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS., Public domain · source
Alder buckthorn Frangula alnus
How do you recognise them?
- Common dogwood
- Shrub with red twigs in winter and leaf veins that curve towards the tip.
- Compared with alder buckthorn: opposite leaves.
- Alder buckthorn
- Shrub with untoothed, glossy leaves with parallel curved veins, and berries that turn from green through red to black.
| Common dogwood | Alder buckthorn | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite, oval, 4–8 cm, untoothed, with curved veins. Tear a leaf gently and thin white threads stay hanging between the pieces. Wine-red autumn colour. | Alternate, oval, 4–7 cm, untoothed and glossy; 7–9 pairs of parallel veins. |
| Flowering | Flat heads of small white flowers in June (May–June). | Small greenish-white flowers from May to September (May–August). |
| Fruit | Bluish-black berries, not edible. | Berries, first green, then red, black when ripe; poisonous. |
| Bark | Twigs blood-red on the sunny side, especially in winter. | Greyish-brown with white, streak-like lenticels; inner bark yellow. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 2–4 m | Shrub, 2–5 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, acid soil, moist to wet |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees and birds | Yes, for bees, butterflies and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Yes, take care with children and pets |
| Pruning months | February–March | November–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Alder buckthorn is poisonous to people and pets: take care with children and animals.
- Both are native and good for wildlife: choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have.
Read on
- Plant profile: Common dogwood
- Plant profile: Alder buckthorn
- Common dogwood: when and how to prune
- Alder buckthorn: when and how to prune
- Identification key: the question that separates them
Also looks like
- Common dogwood or white dogwood
- Cornelian cherry or common dogwood
- Common dogwood or spindle
- Alder buckthorn or buckthorn
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.