Rhamnus caroliniana
carolina buckthorn, carolina false buckthorn, yellow buckthorn, indian cherry, yellowwood, polecat-tree
Family
Rhamnaceae
Leaf Arrangement
alternate
Leaf Attachment
petiolate
Leaf Margin
crenulate, serrulate
Leaf Type
simple
Leaf Shape
oblong, elliptic, obovate, ovate
Growth Form
shrub, tree
Flower Color
green, white, yellow
Flower Month
May, June, September, October
Height (meters)
6.0
Milky Sap
No
Armed/Unarmed
Unarmed
Origin
native
Lifespan
perennial
Growing Season
Warm season
Leaf Retention
Deciduous
Wetland Class
FACU
Wetland Coefficient of Conservatism
6
Field Characters
Small deciduous tree to 3 m tall with a spreading crown. Its leaves are alternate, narrowly elliptic, 5-15 cm long with a rounded base and pointed tip having 8-10 pairs of veins. Its tiny flowers have 5 greenish white petals.
Animal Use
Ripe berries attract birds. Leaves and bark are browsed by deer. The flowers attract butterflies and this plant serves as the larval host for the Snout butterfly.
Habitat
Bottomlands, ravines, stream bottoms, stream banks, and woods. Often over basic rock in moist deciduous woods.