Family: buckthorns (Rhamnaceae)
Blooming period: May–September
Size: up to 5 m
Habitat: moist forests, hedges, by water ditches, moist meadows and marshes
Branches of the common buckthorn (Frangula alnus) are without thorns. The oval leaf blade of the petiolated leaves is entire. It is 2 to 5 cm long. There are clearly visible 7 to 9 pairs of lateral veins, which on the underside of the leaf stand out prominently. Its greenish-white five-petaled flowers are small. Up to four flowers develop in the leaf axils on pedicels up to 12 mm long. Initially green, round fruits later redden; the ripe berries are black. Common buckthorn is poisonous, but it was nevertheless used for its medicinal properties to relieve digestive problems and circulatory problems.
It was also used for making charcoal. In Slovenia it is a common and widely distributed plant.
