Friday’s seeds and Rhamnus alnifolia portrait
Did you know that we have a Canadian native buckthorn? It is not weedy, it doesn’t have thorns, and more than this, it grows as a small size shrub, so it doesn’t take a lot of space. It is never a good idea to stereotype 😉
The seeds were limited as availability, and of course, those who watch the Seeds List got hold of them, but winter is a good time to talk and learn about another not so well-known native plant.
Rhamnus alnifolia, the Alder-leaves Buckthorn or Dwarf alder, is a very cold hardy, native shrub of many regions of Canada, from BC to Newfoundland (plus North Central US). Widespread in some regions and localized in others, it is easy to recognize if one happens to stumble upon, mainly by its nice, shiny foliage (of course, you will have to check all the other characters).
The Alder-leaves Buckthorn is a thornless, deciduous shrub with shiny, conspicuous alternate leaves: lanceolate-oblong to elliptical with (4)5-7 secondary veins, margins crenate. As you notice, the common name alludes to the alder leaf similarity. It is a small size, +/- 1 m shrub, that inhabits wetlands, fens (generally calcareous) swamps, wet meadows, forest edges and streambanks.
As seen in the image above, the flowers are inconspicuous: female and male flowers develop on different plants in May-July (plants are dioecious). They are solitary or in small inflorescences and have 5 greenish sepals; fruits are bluish-black, ornamental, and develop in the fall.
Rhamnus alnifolia stones; 1 mm grid
Rhamnus alnifolia habitat
The bluish-black drupes can contain up to 3 ‘stones’ (which we call seeds). Most surely, the stones require cold/moist stratification for good germination (i.e. sowing in late fall/early winter).
In cultivation, the Alder-leaves buckthorn would be a great shrubby addition for those with a relatively wet area in the garden and for naturalization projects.
If we draw inspiration from nature, good companion plants for the Alder-leaves buckthorn would be: various goldenrods (Solidago), White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima), Lobelia species, Shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa, i.e. Dasiphora), Thalictrum pubescens, Northern blue flag (Iris versicolor), Gentianopsis, Triantha glutinosa, Ladies tresses (Spiranthes), Sarracenia, Myrica gale and many other species for moist locations.
