Description
Also known as Purging buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), this is a much underused hedge plant, as it is very tough and easy to grow on most soils. It grows as a dense hedge, with some thorns, and produces small yellow-green flowers in spring followed by small dark purple berries in autumn.Both forms of buckthorn are invaluable food sources for the brimstone butterfly Gonepteryx rhamni, so buckthorn makes a superb addition to any wildlife friendly mixed hedge.
Not stock-friendly, as the leaves and the berries are mildly poisonous, but the birds seem to love the berries and suffer no ill-effects!
For most garden hedges, plant in a single row, spacing plants every 30cm.
