Herb: Red Berry


Latin name: Rhamnus croceus


Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn Family)



Edible parts of Red Berry:

Fruit - raw. If eaten in large quantities they can temporarily tinge the skin red. The fruit is about 5 - 6mm in diameter and has a thin dry flesh. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
4 m
(13 feet)

Flowering:
April

Habitat of the herb:

Scrub and open forests below 1500 metres. Dry washes and canyons.

Propagation of Red Berry:

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 the herb:

Scrub and open forests below 1500 metres. Dry washes and canyons.

Medicinal use of Red Berry:

None known

Known hazards of Rhamnus croceus:

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.