Frangula caroliniana, commonly called the Carolina buckthorn, is a North American species of shrub or small tree.
Description Frangula caroliniana is usually around high, but capable of reaching in a shaded location. The most striking characteristic of this plant are its shiny, dark green deciduous leaves. The flowers are very small and inconspicuous, pale yellow-green, bell-shaped, appearing in leaf axils in late spring after the leaves. The fruit is a round drupe, ; at first it is red, but later turns black with juicy and sweet but slight flesh. It ripens in late summer.
Despite its common name, the Carolina buckthorn is completely thornless.
Distribution and habitat The species is native to the southeastern, south-central, and mid-western parts of the United States, from Texas east to Florida and north as far as Maryland, Ohio, Missouri, and Oklahoma.Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map There is also an isolated population in the State of Nuevo León in northeastern Mexico. It is found in a wide variety of habitats, including barrens, forests, and limestone bluffs.Flora of North America Frangula caroliniana
Ecology and uses Wildlife such as songbirds eat the fruits, which are reported to have medicinal uses.
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