Glossy buckthorn with berries
Image credit: Sigrid Resh
Glossy buckthorn with berries
Image credit: Sigrid Resh
Glossy buckthorn, a woody small tree from the Rhamnaceae family, is an understory invasive that produces large amounts of seeds and outcompetes many native species. It’s also both sun and shade tolerant and can live in many different soil, moisture, and habitat conditions.
Note: Commonly mistaken with dogwood, to tell the difference between them look for the shiny underside of the glossy buckthorn’s leaf and dogwood leaves have white strings that are visible when leaves are torn apart carefully.
For more information visit Woody Invasives of the Great Lakes (WIGL) Collaborative and Midwest Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN).
Glossy buckthorn overcrowding the understory
Image credit: Sigrid Resh
Glossy buckthorn stem and root system
Image credit: Sigrid Resh
New leaves on sapling
Image credit: Sigrid Resh
Buckthorn is a highly aggressive species that produces copious amounts of seeds and saplings and is able to take over an understory relatively fast. It is very important to start removal of buckthorn before seed production and to remove fruit bearing trees when found for best results. Here at KISMA, buckthorn is another major invasive species that we have at multiple sites. It’s important to revisit sites as buckthorn seeds are viable in the ground for multiple years and it’s important to remove all seedlings. KISMA prioritizes removal of seed trees and satellite populations first, to prevent further spread of buckthorn.
Note: It's very important to remove seeds and seed-bearing trees first, as this is the main reproduction strategy of buckthorn.
Securely fastened plastic bag used to smother buckthorn stump sprouts after cutting
Image credit: Sigrid Resh
Species that are excellent native alternatives to glossy buckthorn are native dogwoods like red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea) and flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.) is also a great alternative providing a well needed food source for native wildlife. Other species such as highbush cranberry (Viburnum trilobum) and other native shrubs are great as well.