Herb: Chinese Buckthorn


Latin name: Rhamnus utilis


Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn Family)



Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
3 m
(9 3/4 foot)

Habitat of Chinese Buckthorn:

Roadsides and thickets in W. Hupeh, to 1600 metres.

Other uses of the herb:

A green dye is obtained from the bark. It is obtained from the leaves.

Propagation of Chinese 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:

Roadsides and thickets in W. Hupeh, to 1600 metres.

Medicinal use of Chinese Buckthorn:

None known

Known hazards of Rhamnus utilis:

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.