Episode 140 : (Re-)Considering Buckthorn

Rhamnus cathartica, or Common Buckthorn, is a non-native opportunistic species of shrub that many love to hate, myself included most of the time. It seems to crowd out local species and possibly even poisons the soil beneath to make it even harder for other plants to take hold. Birds act as vectors for the seed dispersal and soon enough, another forest has a Buckthorn problem. But what if we try to look at the species as a whole, trying to understand a little better, trying to learn a bit more about the relationships which are built around Buckthorn? Long used medicinally, for craft and beauty, we may already know some positives for this maligned plant. Can we look deeper and find something else? Something beyond the human? This episode is a small step towards getting to know Common Buckthorn, R. cathartica, a little better. Here is the link to the cabi.org write up on Buckthorn.