wetland shrub
Carolina buckthorn
Frangula caroliniana
Native to the Southeast and the Midwest
Southwestern Virginia to Ohio, southern Illinois and Nebraska, south to Florida, Texas, and Tamaulipas in northeastern MExico
- Light Partial shade Sun tolerance
- Moisture Moist Moisture preference
- Zones 6–9 Cold to heat range
- Bloom Apr–Jun Flowering time
- Height up to 30 ft to 9.1 m
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A wetland shrub for partial shade and evenly moist soil. At up to 30 ft, it needs room in rain gardens, pond edges, and damp low spots. Hardy in USDA zones 6–9.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
Pollinators & wildlife
- Bees Carpenter-mimic Leafcutter Bee
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- WetlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- The Southeast and the MidwestUnited States (17): AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MO, MS, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- Southwestern Virginia to Ohio, southern Illinois and Nebraska, south to Florida, Texas, and Tamaulipas in northeastern MExicoThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Partial shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Moisture
- MoistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 6–9The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Moist, calcareous, rocky soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil texture
- Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.5The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
- Salinity tolerance
- NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
Growth & form
- Height
- up to 30 ft (to 9.1 m)Typical mature height.
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
- Growth rate
- ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
- Shape
- ErectIts overall silhouette.
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- ShrubWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- Apr–JunWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- White, Yellow, GreenThe bloom color, or colors.
- Toxicity
- None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.
Propagation & seed
- Cold stratification
- Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
- Propagation
- CuttingsHow to start new plants.
- Seed spread rate
- RapidHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.