Alder Buckthorn Hedging Plant (Rhamnus Frangula)

Alder Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) is a small, thornless native tree found along riverbanks, in heathland and in damp woodland, though it remains scarce across the UK. Preferring damp, acidic soils, Alder Buckthorn produces clusters of small pale green flowers in late spring, followed by berries that ripen from red to purple black in autumn. As one of the two food plants of the Brimstone butterfly caterpillar, Alder Buckthorn is a valuable hedge plant for wildlife and conservation planting, reaching a maximum height of around 7 metres. Very hardy and tolerant of a wide range of damp conditions, it suits crofts, woodland edges, gardens and mixed native hedging schemes.

Ripening berries provide a valuable late season food source for birds through the autumn, adding wildlife value alongside Alder Buckthorn's role as a Brimstone butterfly host plant.

As a hedging plant, Alder Buckthorn works well in damp, acidic ground where many other native hedge species struggle to establish.