Plant in 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.

Rhamnus alaternus 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 displayed on this page about Rhamnus alaternus is based on the research we conducted about it in our nursery horticultural library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include some of our own observations made about this plant as it grows in the nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we have received from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information that will aid others to better grow it.