Side by side
Alder buckthorn or buckthorn? How to tell them apart
Frangula alnus · Rhamnus cathartica
How to tell them apart – alder buckthorn: untoothed, alternate leaves and no thorns; buckthorn: shrub with almost opposite side shoots that end in a thorn, finely toothed leaves with curved veins and black berries.
Photo: Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS., Public domain · source
Alder buckthorn Frangula alnus
How do you recognise them?
- Alder buckthorn
- Shrub with untoothed, glossy leaves with parallel curved veins, and berries that turn from green through red to black.
- Compared with buckthorn: untoothed, alternate leaves and no thorns.
- Buckthorn
- Shrub with almost opposite side shoots that end in a thorn, finely toothed leaves with curved veins and black berries.
| Alder buckthorn | Buckthorn | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, oval, 4–7 cm, untoothed and glossy; 7–9 pairs of parallel veins. | Almost opposite, often in clusters on short side shoots, 3–7 cm, oval, finely toothed, with 3–4 pairs of curved veins running towards the tip. |
| Flowering | Small greenish-white flowers from May to September (May–August). | Small, greenish-yellow, four-petalled flowers in clusters, in May–June; male and female on separate shrubs (May–June). |
| Fruit | Berries, first green, then red, black when ripe; poisonous. | Round, black berries (6–8 mm) crowded along the twigs, in September–October; poisonous and strongly laxative. |
| Bark | Greyish-brown with white, streak-like lenticels; inner bark yellow. | Dark greyish-brown to blackish and glossy, later flaking; many short side shoots end in a thorn. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 2–5 m | Shrub, 2–6 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, acid soil, moist to wet | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, dry to wet |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees, butterflies and birds | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Yes, take care with children and pets | Yes, take care with children and pets |
| Pruning months | November–March | November–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Alder buckthorn is poisonous to people and pets: take care with children and animals.
- 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: Alder buckthorn
- Plant profile: Buckthorn
- Alder buckthorn: when and how to prune
- Buckthorn: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.