Frangula caroliniana | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Rhamnaceae |
Genus: | Frangula |
Species: | F. caroliniana
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Binomial name | |
Frangula caroliniana | |
Generalized natural range of Frangula caroliniana | |
Synonyms[2] | |
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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 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.
Wildlife such as songbirds eat the fruits, which are reported to have medicinal uses.[9]