These are excellent plants for sites that have light to partial shade. Add beauty, diversity, and natural food sources for songbirds to your woodland area.
Native to Eurasia, Common Buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica and Glossy Buckthorn Rhamnus frangula were introduced to Minnesota in the 1880's as ornamental shrubs. Both species are extremely adaptable to our Minnesota climate, and are now found throughout much of the state. These plants are rapidly invading wetlands, woodlands, prairies, river valleys, agricultural lands, and your neighborhood.
Buckthorn kills native plants!Native plants cannot naturally compete with Buckthorn. Both Buckthorns are found in many forest understories, wetlands, prairies and river valleys. Native plants are the natural food source of our songbirds. When Buckthorn is all that remains, the birds eat the Buckthorn berries instead. Buckthorn kills songbirds!When native plants disappear from an area where Buckthorn is dense, birds eat the berries of Buckthorn. However, the fruit of Buckthorn causes a severe, laxative reaction in the birds. Hence the name Rhamnus cathartica. If Buckthorn berries are the only source of berries in an area, the birds will eat the berries & excrete repeatedly until they become dehydrated and weak.