The Virginia Tech Forestry Department (2004) states that, \"the leaves of F. alnus are alternate, simple, elliptical to oblong or obovate, entire, veins are parallel but near edges of leaf turn and follow the edge, shiny green above, may be pale pubescent beneath, petiole short and pubescent. The flower is very small and inconspicuous, pale yellow green, bell-shaped, appearing in leaf axils in late spring after the leaves. The fruit is a small round drupe at first red but later turning black, juicy flesh, ripens in late summer. The twig of F. alnus is slender, reddish brown with gray pubescence; buds naked and tan-fuzzy brown; 3 bundle scars, lacking thorns. The bark of this species is smooth gray-brown with a few obvious slightly raised lenticels, may become shallowly fissured on larger stems.\"
Catling and Porebski (1994) state that, \"Berries of F. alnus are eaten by American Robins, Bohemian Waxwings, Cedar Waxwings, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Starlings. The shrub probably has a number of different avian and mammalian dispersal agents.\" Converse (1984) states that, \"F. alnus is recommended for reforestation of degraded European sites having water-logged, podzolized clay soils low in available nutrient and humus (Ziani 1957). In North America they are cultivated for hedges (Wyman 1971), forestry uses, and wildlife habitat.\"
Principal source: Converse, 1984 Element Stewardship Abstract for Rhamnus cathartica, Rhamnus frangula (syn. Frangula alnus)
Compiler: National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) & IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG)
Review: Liam Heneghan Associate Professor of Environmental Science Co-Director, Insititute for Nature and Culture DePaul University Chicago USA
Publication date: 2005-08-29
Recommended citation: Global Invasive Species Database (2024) Species profile: Frangula alnus. Downloaded from http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=810 on 07-10-2024.
In the study conducted by Fagan and Peart (2004), they state that, \"F. alnus in the forest understory clearly reduced the extension and radial growth of saplings of all species. F. alnus has an extensive shallow root system (M.E. Fagan, pers. obs.) and may be a strong below-ground competitor. F. alnus altered the relative abundance of seedlings towards a shade-tolerant species (sugar maple). F. alnus reduced the performance (growth and/or survival) of all tree seedlings, except for sugar maple. The survival of the most shade-intolerant species, white pine, was so reduced by F. alnus cover that pine survival to sapling size beneath buckthorn is highly unlikely. Removal experiments and surveys by Frappier et al. (2002) also indicate that glossy buckthorn reduces the diversity and density of tree seedlings.\"
Converse (1984) states that, \"F. alnus affects the survival of co-occurring species. Other woody plants such as Viburnum opulus L. (in Europe) and Betula pumula L. may be replaced by F. alnus, or are unable to invade F. alnus thickets (Godwin 1936, Lovely 1982).\" Catling and Porebski (1994) state that, \"Currently in some areas of Ontario, F. alnus comprises more than 90% of the green biomass over areas of several acres and it has become a major component of regionally and provincially significant plant communities.\"
Converse (1984) states that, \"In addition to naturalized habitats, these species are problems in parts of some natural areas. F. alnus sometimes invades similar woodland habitats (Brue 1980), but more often invades wetlands that are comparable to its European wetland habitats.\" The author states 3 other possible reasons why F. alnus may have an easier time invading wetland habitats. These include, \"Acidification of surface peat of calcareous fens (Godwin 1974); Exposed mineral soil providing a seed bed (Andreas 1983); and Fire supression and cessation of routine mowing (Godwin 1936, Curtis 1946, Vogl 1969, Godwin et al. 1974, White 1965, Zimmerman 1978, Moran 1981, Gawler 1983).\"