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| Category: Shrub |
| Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorns) |
| Origin: Portugal (Europe) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Greenish White |
| Bloomtime: Spring |
| Height: 12-16 feet |
| Width: 6-8 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: <15° F |
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Rhamnus alaternus (Italian Buckthorn) - A good evergreen shrub for a hedge or screening that has nice dense dark green glossy foliage throughout the year. The small spring-blooming greenish-yellow femail flowers produce reddish fruit that ages to a dark purple color. In nature this plant is quite variable but this cutting grown selection is very upright growing, reaching to 12 to 15 feet tall by about half the width. Full sun to part shade in just about any soil where it can tolerate heat, wind and drought but also tolerates regular water. Hardy to 10-15 ° F. This plant is excellent for making a fast fairly narrow screen as it can grow 2 to 3 feet in its first few years and can also be trained as a small upright tree. It is a particularly useful plant for hedges that go in and out of shade and full sun as it is tolerant of both and its narrow habit and limited height makes it a great choice along pathways and in areas that a limited height is needed. It also shears well if an even shorter height or width is desired. This plant is native to scrublands below 2,300 feet in elevation in the Mediterranean extending from Portugal on the west across southern Spain, France, Italy to Albania and Greece to as far north as the Crimean shores of the Black Sea and south onto islands in the Mediterranean, including Corsica, Sicily, Sardinia and the Balearic Islands. The name for the genus Rhamnus derives from the ancient Greek 'rabdos', meaning a "stick" in reference to the presence a woody spine on the end of each twig for certain species. The specific epithet comes from the Latin word 'alternus' meaning "alternate" in reference to the alternate leaves on this species. Another common name for this plant is Mediterranean Buckthorn.
The information about Rhamnus alaternus that is displayed on this web page is based on research conducted in our nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We will also include observations made about this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We also incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they share cultural information that aids others growing this plant.
Please note that after 46 years in business, San Marcos Growers will be discontinuing nursery operations by the end of 2025 and the property will be developed for affordable housing.
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