Buckthorn: Problem Plant

Buckthorn was once planted as a popular hedge because it was fast-growing and filled in fast. But the prolific plant has become a pest, filling public and private land and choking out other natives. (Photo courtesy of Tom Wallace, Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune.)

The best time to identify buckthorn is late fall. Buckthorn will retain its dark-green, oval leaves long after the leaves of most deciduous trees have changed color or fallen. Female buckthorn also has dense clusters of black berries, many of which remain on the branches until early spring.

Both common and glossy buckthorn mature to large, tall shrubs or small trees 20 to 25 feet tall. The bark is grayish brown.

Because buckthorn spreads so aggressively and out-competes native species, it has been designated a restricted noxious weed in some areas. Here's how to remove buckthorn from your property:

Remove small buckthorn by hand-pulling them.

For larger shrubs, hedges or trees, remove the branches or trunks. Remove the stump or apply a herbicide to the stump within 24 hours of cutting. If you don't want to use a herbicide, prune or mow off the new shoots as they form.

If you can't remove your buckthorn, prune it to prevent it from producing seeds. Prune during or just after flowering.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)