Carolina buckthorn Rhamnaceae Frangula caroliniana (Walter) A. Gray   symbol: FRCA13
	Leaf: Alternate, simple, elliptical to oblong, 2 to 5 inches long, a few fine and widely spaced teeth, veins are parallel but near edges of leaf turn and follow the edge, shiny green above and slightly paler beneath. Flower: Very small and inconspicuous, pale yellow-green, bell-shaped, appearing in leaf axils in late spring after the leaves. Fruit: A small (1/3 inch) round drupe at first red but later turning black, juicy flesh, ripens in late summer. Twig: Slender, reddish brown with gray pubescence; buds very small, naked and brown with fuzz, strong almond smell when broken; thornless, 3 bundle scars. Bark: Smooth gray-brown but may have darker blotches, with a few slightly raised lenticels, may become shallowly fissured on larger stems. Form: Upright shrub or small tree (to 20 feet) with a spreading, open crown.
	USDA Plants Database Frangula caroliniana is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting Carolina buckthorn (opens a new window).