Habitat

• native to Europe
• hardy to zone 3
• Special Note: This species has demonstrated an invasive tendency in Connecticut, meaning it may escape from cultivation and naturalize in minimally managed areas. For more information, Click Here.

Habit and Form

• a large deciduous shrub or small tree
• upright and wide-spreading
• 10' to 15' tall
• 12' or greater spread
• open crown
• medium texture
• fast growth rate

Summer Foliage

• alternate leaf arrangement
• simple, deciduous leaves
• obovate leaf shape
• 1" to 3" in length
• 0.5" to 3" wide
• entire leaf margin
• pubescent underside
• dark green leaf color

Autumn Foliage

• yellow fall color
• not impressive

Flowers

• whitish-green flowers
• 5 petals
• clustered in up to 10's
• not ornamentally important
• blooms in May

Fruit

• berry-like drupe
• up to 0.33" in diameter
• red maturing to black
• progressively maturing July through September
• persist
• showy

Bark

• slender, pubescent stems
• vertical lenticels cover young and old stems

Culture

• full sun to part shade
• easy to transplant
• tolerant of most conditions
• prefers well-drained soil
• prune tolerant

Landscape Use

• screen
• hedge
• for fruiting effect
• to attract wildlife

Liabilities

• weedy appearance
• invasive in some areas
• leaf spot
• aphids, scales and rusts

ID Features

• progressively maturing fruit along stems
• alternate leaf arrangement
• naked terminal buds, pubescent and brown
• obovate leaf shape

Propagation

• by seed
• by softwood cuttings

Cultivars/Varieties

'Asplenifolia' - Commonly offered by specialty nurseries, this plant features narrow foliage with a wavy margin. It grows to 12' tall and 10' wide and has an overall ferny texture. It should be used cautiously, as it spreads unchecked by seed into unmanaged areas in some regions.

'Columnaris' - Referred to as "Tallhedge Glossy Buckthorn", this upright grower is a staple plant offered as hedging by discount merchants. It has a narrow, upright habit that may be sheared. It has few redeeming qualities and may spread by seed as an invasive pest in many areas. It should therefore be used with caution or abandoned in favor of better plants.