Herb: Dyer's Buckthorn


Latin name: Rhamnus saxatilis tinctorius


Synonyms: Rhamnus tinctoria


Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn Family)



Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
2 m
(6 1/2 foot)

Flowering:
May

Habitat of Dyer's Buckthorn:

Rocky places on calcareous soils in the Mediterranean.

Other uses of the herb:

A green dye is obtained from the leaves.

Propagation of Dyer's Buckthorn:

Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed will require 1 - 2 months cold stratification 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 the herb:

Rocky places on calcareous soils in the Mediterranean.

Medicinal use of Dyer's Buckthorn:

None known

Known hazards of Rhamnus saxatilis tinctorius:

There is the suggestion that this species could be mildly poisonous.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.