Do not plant. Listed invasive in Kentucky.
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Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
17CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY
Genus host records with ranges including KY · Rhamnus
- Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
- Argyrotaenia quercifolianaYellow-Winged Oak Leafroller Moth, Lined Oak Leafroller
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Eulia ministranaFerruginous Eulia
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
- Lacanobia subjunctaSpeckled Arches, Subdues Arches, Harnessed Mamestra, Speckled Cutworm Moth, Grand Arches?(incorrectly)
- Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Show all 17
- Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
- Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
- Rhopobota naevanaBlackheaded Fireworm, Holly Bud Moth, Holly Tortrix
- Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
- Syndemis afflictanaFall Dead-Leaf Roller, Gray Leafroller, Black-and-Grey Banded Leafroller
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Triphosa haesitataTissue Moth, Brown Tissue
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
12BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Rhamnus
- Aphelocoma californicaCalifornia Scrub-Jay
- Campylorhynchus brunneicapillusCactus Wren
- Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
- Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
- Ixoreus naeviusVaried Thrush
- Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
- Patagioenas fasciataBand-tailed Pigeon
- Sphyrapicus ruberRed-breasted Sapsucker
- Toxostoma redivivumCalifornia Thrasher
- Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Show all 12
- Tyrannus tyrannusEastern Kingbird
- Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Rhamnaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 3a–7b
- Soil pH
- Neutral to alkaline
- Flower color
- Yellow or green
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Flower color · “Yellow or green” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Hardiness · “Zones 3a–7b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “18–30 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH · “Neutral to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Spread · “15–20 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as
Common Buckthorn; European Buckthorn
Conservation status
| Kentucky rank | SNA |
|---|---|
| Global rank | GNR |
| KY status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Sources
- tnky_atlas
- usda
- ky_invasive
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications