Alder Buckthorn

Despite its name, buckthorn is neither thorns. The name Sea Buckthorn is a translation of Italian fancy name bush inaccurate, squamous Matterhorn, or "deer without thorns." Espino was imported from Europe to North America long ago and grows wild in nurseries for much of the northern continent. today are growing a variety called hedges and windbreaks Tallhedge.

Galen, a Greek physician of the second century AD. Did alder buckthorn, although it did not distinguish clearly in his, written between it and other species. All were credited at different times, with the power to protect against witchcraft, demons, married, and headache. The old man ignored the more secular, but the real value of the bark as a laxative, and it was only in 1300 that electricity-century sea buckthorn has been used for this purpose. Sea buckthorn bark is a laxative is relatively mild and may not have been considered strong enough to be worthy of attention in a day when violent laxatives were in vogue.

Buckthorn tree was previously used for footwear products, nails and veneers. Its coal were evaluated by the manufacturers of gunpowder. The bark yields a yellow, and green berries produce a green color.

Sea buckthorn wood was previously used for shoes, nails and veneers. Its coal was evaluated by powder manufacturers. The bark yields a yellow and green berries produce a green color.

The berries are slightly toxic and can cause vomiting.

Habitat: hedgerows, old fields, Forest edges, prefers well-drained soils.

Range: Native to Eurasia and North Africa, buckthorn has naturalized in North America from Nova Scotia to Quebec to southern New Jersey and western Illinois.

Identification: deciduous shrub or small tree that grows up to 20 meters in length. It has glossy green oval leaves 1 to 3 cm in length, which is an alternative, and toothless. Bark is green when young, becoming gray and marked with whitish transverse ridges when older. Small greenish-white flowers (May-July) will be developed in small groups of leaves in the joints or the tips of the branches. Berries pea-size change from green to red to black when ripe (in September).

Uses: Herbalists recommend a tea made from the bark as a laxative. In Europe, the bark is a common ingredient in pharmaceutical laxatives prepared.