Rhamnaceae
Common buckthorn
Rhamnus cathartica
- Family
- Rhamnaceae
- Genus
- Rhamnus
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Common names
By language (49)
- Arabic
- نبق مسهل, سدر مسهل, الكاسكارا, زفرين الجرد, سويد, شجرة الدكن, عوسج, عوسج فارس
- Armenian
- Դժնիկ լուծողական
- arz
- نبق مسهل
- Asturian
- Sangreru negru
- Azerbaijani
- İşlədici murdarça
- Basque
- Hesilahar
- Belarusian
- Жасцёр слабіцельны
- Bulgarian
- Слабителна зърника
- Catalan
- Espina vera, Nerprun purgatif
- Chinese
- 药鼠李, 药鼠李实
- Croatian
- Pasjakovina
- csb
- Zwëczajny szatlach
- cv
- Хура катăркас
- Czech
- Řešetlák počistivý
- Danish
- Vrietorn, Korsved
- dsb
- Pšawy gokowc
- Dutch
- Wegedoorn, Wegendoorn
- English
- Common buckthorn, Purging buckthorn, Buckthorn, European buckthorn
- Estonian
- Harilik türnpuu, Türnpuu
- Finnish
- Orapaatsama
- French
- Nerprun purgatif, Nerprun cathartique, Nerprun officinal
- German
- Purgier-Kreuzdorn, Gemeiner Kreuzdorn, Echter Kreuzdorn, Echter Wegedorn, Kreuzbeerstrauch, Nerprun purgatif, Purgierdorn, Purgierstrauch
- gv
- Bugogue
- hsb
- Prawy hokowc
- Hungarian
- Varjútövis
- Italian
- Spino cervino
- kbd
- Бгырыпхиӏэ
- Kurdish
- Gijok, گژۆک
- Latvian
- Parastais pabērzs
- Lithuanian
- Dygioji šunobelė, Nerprun purgatif
- Luxembourgish
- Dräidar
- Macedonian
- Горчлив дрен
- myv
- Бизнега чувто, Бизнэга чувто, Лавшомтыця верьгизэнь сельме
- mzn
- اش انگور
- Norwegian Bokmål
- Geitved
- os
- Саусындз
- Persian
- رامنس کاتارتیکا, اشنگور
- Polish
- Szakłak pospolity
- Russian
- Крушина слабительная, Жостер слабительный, Жостёр, Жёстер
- Serbian
- Паздрен
- sgs
- Neveidielis, Šonuobelė
- Slovak
- Rešetliak prečisťujúci
- Slovenian
- Čistilna kozja češnja, Čistilna krhlika
- Spanish
- Espino cerval, Aladierna purgante, Cerval, Cervispina, Cervispino, Espina cervina, Espina de ciervo, Espino hediondo
- Swedish
- Getapel, Nerprun purgatif, Vägtorn
- Tajik
- Angurak, Ангурак
- Turkish
- Adi cehri
- Ukrainian
- Жостір проносний
- Welsh
- Rhafnwydden rhafnwydd
Synonyms
- Cervispina cathartica (L.) Moench
- Rhamnus cadevalli Pau
- Rhamnus elbursensis Gauba & Rech.f.
- Rhamnus hydriensis Hacq.
- Rhamnus sylvatica J.Serres
- Rhamnus wichellii hort. ex K.Koch
- Rhamnus wicklia hort. ex K.Koch
- Rhamnus wihhor Luce
- Rhamnus willdenowiana Roem. & Schult.
- Rhamnus xanthocarpa hort. ex K.Koch
Flowers
- In flower
- May to June (from 554 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Shrub, Tree
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced
Photos
FlowerPhoto: xulescu_g, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Bev McBride, CC0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Bruce Cook, CC0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Marilynn Miller, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Tyler Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Radio Tonreg from Vienna, Austria, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Mike B, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Red, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Daniel Atha, CC0, from iNaturalist
More in Rhamnus
- Mediterranean buckthornRhamnus alaternusRhamnaceae
- BlinkblaarRhamnus prinoidesRhamnaceae
- Black hawthornRhamnus lycioidesRhamnaceae
- Rock buckthornRhamnus saxatilisRhamnaceae
- Rhamnus pumilaRhamnaceae
- Rhamnus alpinaRhamnaceae
- Rhamnus imeretinaRhamnaceae
- Redberry buckthornRhamnus croceaRhamnaceae
- Rhamnus glandulosaRhamnaceae
- Rhamnus ludovici-salvatorisRhamnaceae
- Dahurian buckthornRhamnus davuricaRhamnaceae
- LokaoRhamnus globosaRhamnaceae
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.