Frangula caroliniana

Frangula caroliniana, commonly called the Carolina buckthorn,^[3] is a deciduous upright shrub or small tree native to the southeastern, south-central, and mid-western parts of the United States, from Texas east to Florida and north as far as Maryland, Ohio, Missouri, and Oklahoma.^[4] There is also an isolated population in the State of Nuevo León in northeastern Mexico.^[5] It is found in a wide variety of habitats, including barrens, forests, and limestone bluffs.^[6]

Frangula caroliniana
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rhamnaceae
Genus:	Frangula
Species:	F. caroliniana
Binomial name
Frangula caroliniana (Walter) A.Gray
Generalized natural range of Frangula caroliniana
Synonyms[2]
Rhamnus caroliniana Walter

Description

Frangula caroliniana is usually around 12 to 15 feet (3.7 to 4.6 meters) high, but capable of reaching 40 feet (12 meters) in a shaded location.^[7] The most striking characteristic of this plant are its shiny, dark green leaves. The flowers are very small and inconspicuous, pale yellow-green, bell-shaped, appearing in leaf axils in late spring after the leaves. The fruit is a small (1/3 inch or 8.3 mm) round drupe; at first red, but later turning black with juicy flesh. It ripens in late summer.^[8]

Despite its common name, the Carolina buckthorn is completely thornless.

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  Frangula caroliniana in bloom

Ecology and uses

Wildlife such as songbirds eat the fruits, which are reported to have medicinal uses.^[9]