Buckthorn
1 entry found.
Buckthorn
Common Name: Buckthorn, Cascara Sagrada
Botanical Name: Rhamnus purshiana (RAM-nus per-shi-AH-na)
Decorative Life: 2-3 weeks.
Post Harvest Care:
- Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a bleach solution of 20 drops (1/4 teaspoon) per quart of water.
Family Roots:
- Is a member of the Rhamnaceae (buckthorn family).
- Native to the West Coast US and Canada.
- Relatives include ceanothus, Hovenia, Zizyphus and buckthorn.
Personality:
- Leaves are egg-shaped to 5 inches long, strongly veined giving a "washboard" appearance, along woody branches.
- Branches woody, cut to various lengths.
- Plant is a deciduous tree, classed as a dicotyledon.
Availability: Spring, summer.
Flower Color: Not applicable.
Storage Specifics: 34-38F.
Tidbits:
- Rhamnus was a city along the coast of Ancient Greece. Cascara sagrada means "sacred bark" in Spanish.
- The bark is the source of a strong laxative.