Plant · P-1021

Carolina Buckthorn

Frangula caroliniana

Carolina Buckthorn is a deciduous understory shrub or small tree of streambanks, ravines and rocky bottomland, usually reaching 10 to 15 feet with an equal spread. Inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers open in late spring, followed by red berries that ripen black by fall and are stripped by songbirds through the fall and winter. It grows best with a few hours of direct sun and shade for the rest of the day, tolerates calcareous, rocky or clay soil, and becomes drought-tolerant once established, though its berries can cause stomach upset if eaten by people.