Rhamnaceae

California buckthorn

Frangula californica (Eschsch.) A.Gray

Family: Rhamnaceae
Genus: Frangula

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California buckthorn (Frangula californica) — Photo: luci.evanston, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF

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Common names

By language (3)

English: California buckthorn
Spanish: Espino Cerval de California
Turkish: Kaliforniya cehrisi

Synonyms

Endotropis oleifera Raf.
Perfonon laurifolium Raf.
Rhamnus californica Eschsch.
Rhamnus californica var. betulifolia Trel.
Rhamnus castorea Greene
Rhamnus laurifolia Nutt.
Rhamnus major Carrière
Rhamnus nana Carrière
Rhamnus oleifolia Hook.
Rhamnus purshiana var. californica Rehder

Characteristics

Growth habit: Shrub, Tree
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: native

Photos

Photo: luci.evanston, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: paddy_28, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: mortons4, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Johnny Poppyseed, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: elphia, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: vanessa, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Bradley Soares, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Casey Wing, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Eddie Hwang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Serge Novitski, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Eddie Hwang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Robin D'Oyen, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF

More in Frangula

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.