Herb: Dahurian Buckthorn


Latin name: Rhamnus dahurica


Synonyms: Rhamnus dahuricus


Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn Family)



Edible parts of Dahurian Buckthorn:

Leaves - cooked. They can be parboiled and eaten. The leaves are a tea substitute.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
7 m
(23 feet)

Flowering:
June

Habitat of the herb:

Forest undergrowth in the Himalayas.

Other uses of Dahurian Buckthorn:

A green dye is obtained from the leaves and branches. Plants can be grown as an informal hedge, they are also amenable to trimming.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed will require 1 - 2 months cold stratification at about 5°C and should be sown as early in the year as possible in a cold frame or outdoor seedbed. Germination is usually good, at least 80% by late spring. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, autumn in a frame. Layering in early spring.

Cultivation of Dahurian Buckthorn:

Forest undergrowth in the Himalayas.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Rhamnus dahurica:

Although no specific mention of toxicity has been found for this species, there is the suggestion that some members of this genus could be mildly poisonous.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.