Purging Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

Purging Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

Both Purging and Alder Buckthorn are the only foodplants of the Brimstone butterfly. Purging Buckthorn prefers drier and more calcareous spots than the damp loving Alder Buckthorn, however. It's also not hermaphrodite, but it can be tricky to tell the two plants apart; look for the leaves, which if in pairs on the stem mean you're looking at Common buckthorn. I guess it also looks not a million miles away from Cornus sanguinea, Common dogwood.

Buckthorn is a good hedging plant; put one in a hedge facing South or in any sheltered position and you will find yourself breeding Brimstones sooner rather than later.

Like all our native plants, the Purging buckthorn we sell is British grown and grown from seed from plants growing here naturally. The plants are two year old 60-90cm whips.

This year we are also selling smaller 30/50cm cell grown plants, ideal for planting from March to May.

Suppliers: RV Roger, Oakover Nurseries, RJ Trees and Hedging. All these growers are Plant Healthy certified.

See our planting and size guide for details and tips on planting.

Our Rhamnus cathartica plants are all bare root, and are consequently available for delivery from November until March ( please ask if you are interested in pot grown plants). During the lifting season there may be up to a month's delay between placing the order and dispatching, due to weather conditions or pressure of orders, which are dealt with in date sequence. Orders for Rhamnus cathartica placed between March and September are confirmed in October ready for dispatch from November.