Rhamnus cathartica Seeds | Common Buckthorn
LATIN NAME: Rhamnus cathartica
COMMON NAME: Common Buckthorn
Plant Profile
Among the ornamental and useful plants raised from seed, Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) stands out as a deciduous shrub, native to england and wales and throughout Europe. Herb steadily grows into a rounded crown, with a mature height of 5-10 metres. Growth leads to a rosette of leaves, to fifty centimetres. The ratio of effort to reward here is about as good as gardening gets.
Science & Biotechnology
Botanists studying the Rhamnus group regularly include Rhamnus cathartica in comparative work, and the species also appears in horticultural trials aimed at gardeners and growers. For a tree of such divided reputation, common buckthorn has a steady and fascinating record of research. Species like this one find a second career as research material, especially in propagation and breeding work.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Common Buckthorn has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. Ecologically, common buckthorn is a generous tree of the European hedgerow. Its spring flowers feed bees and other insects, its black berries feed birds, and its dense, hardy growth gives shelter and nesting sites, while in its native range it is a familiar and useful member of the countryside. Its economic value is historic and real. After the first season it asks for very little beyond a place that suits it.
Buckthorns gave medicine cascara sagrada, the standardized anthraquinone laxative bark; they are strong, short-term professional herbs, while the sea-buckthorn branch of the family gives superfood berries.
Growing from Seed
Common Buckthorn is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Sow the seed evenly over the surface and cover lightly, using a loose, well-drained seed compost, and keep it just moist in bright light until the seedlings are well up. Shift the seedlings into small pots as soon as they can be handled, and give them bright light until planting-out time.
Our Take
The medicinal tradition behind this species, outlined above, is a large part of its interest. Given the right start, Common Buckthorn is a long-term garden companion. Its wants are few — a sunny spot, soil that drains, and time to settle in.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Common Buckthorn often pair it with these related subjects: