OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Rosales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Frangula caroliniana   FAMILY Rhamnaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Frangula caroliniana   FAMILY Rhamnaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America

Frangula caroliniana

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 119-04-001:

Rhamnus caroliniana   FAMILY Rhamnaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Rhamnus caroliniana

 

COMMON NAME:
Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905)    mtna_i_757

        

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide    pnd_frca13_001_lvd

        

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_rhca2_001_lvd

        

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

JK Marlow    jkm230228_1292

February    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

Winter buds naked, pubescent, per Weakley's Flora (2022).

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

JK Marlow    jkm120415_011

April    Pickens County    SC

Clemson Forest

Leaf blades 4-6" long; parallel veins prominent, margins finely toothed, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

JK Marlow    jkm130420_579

April    Pickens County    SC

Leaves finely toothed, soft-textured, veins slightly arcuate, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

JK Marlow    jkm220420_7046

April    Greenville County    SC

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

JK Marlow    jkm220420_7049

April    Greenville County    SC

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

JK Marlow    jkm220420_7050

April    Greenville County    SC

Bark smooth, grayish; inner bark yellowish, odorous, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

John B. Nelson    jbn_3535234593_644a1d3dd4

May        

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

JK Marlow    jkm230606_3742

June    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_f_caroliniana_caro

June        

Corolla less than 1/4" wide; flowers in few-flowered clusters in leaf axils, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

JK Marlow    jkm120815_758

August    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

Veins parallel with 8-10 pairs (vein ends following margins), per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

JK Marlow    jkm120815_760

August    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

Leaves largest towards branch tip, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

JK Marlow    jkm120815_763

August    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_f_caroliniana_3

September        

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

Ron Lance    rwl1212_a2

September        

Fruit a globose 3/8" drupe, red in summer becoming black at maturity, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

JK Marlow    jkm0511a_35

November    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

image of Frangula caroliniana, Carolina Buckthorn, Polecat-tree, Indian Currant, Indian-cherry

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_f_caroliniana_2

November        

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Frangula caroliniana   FAMILY Rhamnaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Frangula caroliniana   FAMILY Rhamnaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Frangula caroliniana

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 119-04-001:
Rhamnus caroliniana   FAMILY Rhamnaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Rhamnus caroliniana

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

1212

Shrub; Tree
Perennial

Habitat: Dry to moist barrens, woodlands, and forests, Coastal Plain limestone bluffs and shell middens, especially over mafic or calcareous rocks, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Uncommon (rare in Coastal Plain) (rare in NC Mountains)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)

IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Not armed

LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
Margins minutely toothed above middle of blade

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Greenish-white
5-merous
Bisexual

Flowers in few-flowered clusters in leaf axils

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Red->Black
Drupe

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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